Addressing the Myth
by Terron145
Summary: With the Arcanian Council's decision to lift the embargo upon entering the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, a myriad of Guilds make way for the city of Iorys to rise to the challenge of exploring the interior. Among such Guilds are the Seekers, with veterans and newcomers alike rallying together to form the Guild's fifth Branch.
1. Starting Up

Story Notes: _Though this is the fifth adventure following this Guild, the series as a whole is meant to be structured so that reading them out of order does not impede the reader's experience._

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 **Chapter 1: Starting Up**

Within the vast continent of Arcania, a social change of a grand scale has just begun. The embargo upon the Yggdrasil Labyrinth has been lifted by order of the united council of the collective regions, allowing for exploration to commence. Explorers of all manner, make, and race make way for Iorys, the city that rests at the base of the Yggdrasil Tree. One such explorer, a woman 22 years of age, has traveled from the far-off Ocean City of Armoroad to traverse this Labyrinth. She currently sits at a small table in one of the city's most popular inns.

Her shoulder-length blonde hair has been tied into two separate twin-tails that rest limply in front of either shoulder. Her crystal blue eyes sport a dull faded countenance, suggesting that she either just rose from slumber, or is suffering a bout of internal anguish. After a single sip of the coffee in front of her, however, her eyes adopt their characteristic glow, and a smile graces her lips. A content sigh escapes her before she looks to the woman who offered the cup. "I appreciate it, Jenetta, thanks."

Standing before her is a woman presumably in her mid-20s. Verdant green hair tops her head, along with a pair of long rabbit ears. She currently wears a frilly white apron over a deep green ensemble that clings to her frame. A cheery smile commands her expression, accentuated by the luminescent blush on her cheeks. With the addition of the incredibly puffy tail protruding from her back, the mere sight of this woman is cited as an uplifting remedy for any and all so fortunate as to gaze upon her. Her eyes are closed, and apparently none of her patrons have ever seen them open.

The atmosphere of the dining hall takes a turn for the cheerful as this woman's perky voice fills the air. "Think nothing of it, Fiona; it wouldn't do to send you out looking so groggy." As her patron takes another sip of her coffee, she presents a question – "Have you come to a decision yet?"

Setting the cup down, Fiona closes her eyes to contemplate. Before long, she opens them again, making eye contact with Jenetta in turn. "I'm going to check in with the Guildmaster right after I suit up; whether I start up a Guild or join an existing one…I will make the call when I arrive."

"You are a veteran, so I imagine you'll fit in well regardless of your choice, but if it were me, I'd like to party up with old friends…or maybe my sisters."

Fiona's eyes widen at the notion, her mind having turned to a sudden revelation. "That reminds me. Lissa said she was going to study as a knight in this city; I wonder if she'll have enough free time to join…" She downs the remainder of her drink in a single go before rising to her feet. "I better get moving; thanks for the coffee, Jenetta – I'll be back later."

Jenetta's returns the statement with a smile and a nod. "Yep, yep; be safe out there, and have a nice day!" She then watches as Fiona dashes out of the building, which causes her to place a finger on her chin. ' _Didn't she say she was going to suit up before le-_ ' her thought is promptly cut off as Fiona rushes back inside, sheepishly proclaiming that she'd forgotten her armor and rapier. Jenetta merely stifles a giggle as she silently observes.

The Explorers Guild is far less quiet, boasting an uproarious atmosphere in comparison. Guilds of varying skill levels are in constant movement, be it to handle paperwork, assemble squad members, or even to simply catch one's bearings. Among the lot, two explorers – a man and woman – stand out. Both exude a calm and collected air, presenting them as a duo at peace with the surrounding chaos. The male member of the duo, 21 years of age, has the look of a wizard about him, with his attire sporting dark colors – primarily black and blue – and various gems adorning his person, presumably to bolster the power of his spells.

Dark brown hair tops his head, though it appears to be black unless observed in the appropriate lighting. He sports a pair of heterochromatic eyes, with the right being brown and the left being red. In addition, the left eye appears to have a circular runic pattern engraved around the pupil. He lacks a left arm, but conceals this from the unobservant through the use of a navy blue cape. Embossed upon this cape is a soaring eagle, golden in color, wielding a short sword in one talon and a spell tome in the other; after the Yggdrasil Labyrinth in Armoroad was cleared, this became known as the signature emblem of the Seekers Guild.

Many of the explorers present in the halls of the Explorers Guild took note of this cape, and have accidentally taken to staring at its bearer for longer and more intently than was intended. The woman at this man's side was quick to point this out. She turns to face him, her long flowing raven black hair swaying as she does so. A pair of sparkling blue eyes gives a stern countenance as she remarks, "Cyrus, it would appear that your cape is serving opposite to its intended function."

Cyrus chuckles at this, a gesture that causes the woman at his side to let out a huff and cross her arms. "You think so? It's meant to draw attention away from my arm, and I'd say it serves that purpose quite handily."

She then places her hands on her hips, striking a rather indignant stance with her companion's lax behavior. She stands as tall as her companion, presenting herself as quite the overbearing force. Whereas other passerby found themselves subconsciously taking a step backwards in recognition of this notion, Cyrus simply cracks a smirk. The woman's attire lends to bestowing upon her a regal and important air, but not much for intimidation. A frilly dress, gray in color with lavender accoutrements, is her choice of attire, complemented by a pair of form-clinging black boots that rise just below her knees. Curiously, her boots match those of her companion.

"At the cost of drawing unwanted attention to your person? Not a fair trade if you ask me."

The pair's minor squabble is interjected by the voice of a gruff older gentleman, one clad in ebon and gold armor. His pauldrons are further adorned with auburn fur and some sort of silvery blue plating. His facial features are impossible to discern, courtesy of the helmet donned atop his head; atop this helm is the golden bust of a wyrm. Crossing his arms, the armored man takes a long glance at the two explorers, sizing them up and gauging their skill. Looking to the woman, he gives a reply that strikes her as a quip. "The man at your side might make for an impressive Phantom Fencer someday. I take it you are both here to join a Guild, yes?"

Cyrus nods in response to this. "Yes, though Milady and I intend to start a Guild of our own. More specifically, our intent is to create an Iorys Branch for the Seekers Guild."

Looking to Cyrus, the armor-clad man lets slip a sound of intrigue. "Ah, yes, your face did strike me as familiar. That left eye of yours is quite distinct at this point; you are Cyrus Coelistis, the original founder, are you not?"

"I am he, yes." Directing the man's attention to the woman at his side, he continues, "This is my liege, Gwenivere Concordia." Gwenivere performs a curtsy in greeting, which the armor-clad man returns with a bow.

"Well met to you both. I am Egar, the Guildmaster of Iorys' Explorers Guild. It is my hope that your exploits will produce great results, and perhaps inspire your fellows to rise above complacent mediocrity." Cyrus dons a despondent look upon hearing this, to which Egar follows, "Do I ask too much of you?"

"Oh, no, it's not that, it's just that you're the fourth Guildmaster to say that. The masters of Etria, Armoroad, and Tharsis made similar comments."

Egar chuckles at this, though his helmet's filter gives the impression that he may be scoffing instead. "We sentient beings certainly have a bad habit of letting the peaceful times weaken us." He gestures for the duo to follow him towards a table. "Come, let us register your Guild." Pulling out a clipboard, he sets it down on the table beside a fancy fountain pen. "Skilled though you may be, it is standard procedure to recruit a party of five before ascending the Labyrinth."

Raising an eyebrow to this, Cyrus comments, "Ascend? Iorys' Labyrinth soars to the heavens?" Egar nods in response, but shows no signs of his extended intrigue. "Every other Yggdrasil I've traversed has required explorers to brave its depths; I heard from a few allies that Lagaard's Labyrinth ascended, but I was not present for its exploration."

"Then this shall be a new experience, even for you. I look forward to seeing how you adapt." Stepping away, Egar quickly returns with a book in tow. Presenting it to Cyrus, he says, "This encyclopedia details every available Class used by the explorers of Arcania. Under normal circumstances, humans such as yourselves would only be able to select Earthlain Classes as your starting line, but given your prowess for magic, you could easily pass for Celestrian half-bloods."

Gwenivere glances at the pages of this encyclopedia alongside Cyrus, soon asking, "Will you not enter a spot of trouble for such an act?"

"Normally, yes, but from what I was told by the Outland Count some years prior, you Erdboden-native humans are quite different from residents of this world."

His attention caught, Cyrus asks, "The Count? Did he mention the spirit animal transformations?"

"Aye, that he did. In that same vein, the two of you could adopt your transformations and pass as Therians as well." Cyrus and Gwenivere glance at each other, both adopting nervous expressions as they make eye contact. Privy to this, Egar asks, "I assume the matter is more complicated than that?" They nod in unison. "How curious. Whatever the case, I leave the choice of your starting Classes to you; choose carefully, but know your decision is by no means permanent."

Knowing the pair will need some time to pour over the contents of the encyclopedia, he takes a momentary leave to provide his attention to other aspiring Guilds. Cyrus and Gwenivere take seats beside each other and get to reading. After reading through the explanations of Fencer and Pugilist, the latter takes to resting her head on the shoulder of her companion. She absently comments, "Amy would have to take Pugilist."

Cyrus chuckles at this, turning another page as he voices his agreement. "Yeah, she's been training to better hone her technique ever since our time in Armoroad; I have no doubt that she'd handle this Class masterfully." He soon finds himself stuck on Harbinger, a scythe-wielding class that specializes in capitalizing on ailing opponents. "Lady Mayrune and Valerie would make good use of these Skills." He gives a quick glance Gwenivere's way before casually adding, "This sort of dress would look quite fabulous on you as well."

Her brow furrows as she gazes upon the illustrations of the Harbinger. "I may very well have a dress just like this back at the palace. I cannot say I am too keen on wielding a scythe, however. I much prefer my katana."

"In that case, you could adopt your raven visage and run as a Masurao; I can see you switching over to your Depth Dancer form just to make use of this four-sword style."

"That sounds incredibly dangerous; I'd give our comrades nightmares." Having made it to the Celestrian section, Gwenivere immediately finds her attention caught by the Warlock Class. Her face lights up as a smile graces her lips. "Ooh, now this looks promising." She lifts her head from Cyrus' shoulder to take hold of the book. "Love, what say you to my choosing of this Class? I'd have to drop my katana, but I have been meaning to take my magic training beyond its current level."

"I have no qualms with this; I'll support you in your decision, as ever."

"Excellent! Then it is decided. Now we have to choose a Class for you."

A voice sounds from behind the duo, one that calls out to Cyrus in an attempt to ascertain his identity. Upon turning around, the two are greeted with the sight of Fiona, who has taken to donning light armor. Gold and silver gauntlets adorn her arms, with the left gauntlet sporting a small mounted heater shield. Half of the shield's face is colored light blue, with the other half being white; it serves to match the sleeveless dress Fiona is wearing. Beneath her dress is worn a tight black top that covers that which the dress leaves bare. A pair of black tights is worn in complement, with a pair of gold and silver greaves worn above it. A rapier with a decorated circular guard rests within its scabbard, which is mounted on her left arm just beneath the shield.

Upon seeing the Runic Eye gaze upon her, there can be no doubt. "Wow, it really is you; uh…hey, Cyrus." She is then taken aback by how swiftly Cyrus rises from his chair and rushes over to her. Fiona suddenly finds herself in a tight embrace, suspended less than a meter off the ground as Cyrus proclaims his joy to see his comrade once again. Once she returns to solid ground, she looks upon her old comrade's countenance to find a joyous expression upon it. Her face turns red at the sight, and soon she feels the contagious effects of the smile overtaking her. "Yeah, it's good to see you, too." Looking to Gwenivere, she asks, "Who might your friend be?"

Gwenivere rises from her seat and extends a hand to Fiona. Having the gesture returned with a firm shake, she elects to introduce herself on Cyrus' behalf. "I am Gwenivere Concordia, soon to be the next Overlord of the Province of Nature in Erdboden's Land of Mages. You are likely aware of me as Cyrus' liege, but know that I am also his first wife."

Fiona turns to Cyrus, a mischievous smirk upon her lips and her eyes likewise shaded into a conniving leer. "So you went and married your boss after all, eh?"

"It was bound to happen eventually. And before you ask, yes, I married Amy's older sister as well."

"I'm surprised you survived the ceremony…and your wedding night." Cyrus clutches at his chest, feigning as if he's been mortally wounded by Fiona's jest. "I'm happy for you, truly. It's honestly quite nice to hear that things are starting to work out for you back home." A frown is suddenly fixed upon her countenance. "You always…looked rather somber whenever you spoke of Erdboden. Amy even commented once before that remaining here in our world would be better for your health."

Cyrus sighs at this, though his expression doesn't shift to reflect Fiona's current mood. "The war is over and the Void Dweller has been dealt with. Life is finally calming down for me." He cracks another smirk. "Now I need only worry about being a family man and running my business."

Resting a hand on her hip, Fiona shoots him a questioning look. "Aren't you going to be ruling that Province alongside your wife here?"

"Yes, but I've spent my entire life preparing for that; I'm not worried."

"Have I ever told you that you're lax at the worst of times?"

He shrugs. "Maybe once or twice." Fiona can only frown at his quip, which forces Gwenivere to stifle a giggle. "If you haven't joined a Guild yet, might I trouble you to join ours?" He hesitates, remembering that the air between the two of them hasn't been exactly cleared up as of yet. "We clashed quite often during our time in Armoroad, but I'd be more than happy to stand at your side in battle again."

"Yeah, likewise. I've done a lot of thinking since then, and I'm sure you've done the same. I…" she trails off, momentarily glancing at the encyclopedia on the desk and letting her mind wander away from this unpleasant topic. She takes in a deep breath and exhales before resolving to look Cyrus in the eyes. "I still don't quite understand what you said to me back then, nor can I say I am willing to just accept your methods." She takes a step forward, extending her hand before him. "In spite of that, I know you're my ally; I staked my life on protecting you for that very reason."

He takes hold of her hand, affirming their camaraderie with a firm shake. In an effort to move the topic to something lighter, he asks, "So you're a Fencer? You're finally taking a shot at leading a Chaser-focused party?" She nods, causing Cyrus to glance at the Class encyclopedia on the table once again. After thinking it over to himself, he nods and lets a soft smile form on his lips. Looking to Gwenivere, and then to Fiona, he says, "I believe I have made my decision; I shall enlist as a Fencer, one with the focus of evasion. I shall serve as the Tank to keep enemy aggression off of you."

The two leer at him, boasting worried expressions. Between the two, Fiona is the first to express her concern. "Aren't you physically frail? Can you handle that much exertion?"

"All of that exercising I do isn't just for show, Fiona; I ask for your trust."

"You already have it, as you've been in possession since our time in Armoroad. I jus- we worry about you."

"Cyrus does have this nagging habit of causing his friends no shortage of worry."

"Yes, yes, thank you, dear."

"Anytime, love." She motions to pick up the encyclopedia, casually waving it as she says, "With our Classes decided on, we should return this to the Guildmaster. Other explorers may be in need of it." She takes the lead of this trio as they make way for the Guildmaster. Egar's distinct presence is impossible to miss, and he is rather tall, making the task of locating him a simple affair. At present, he is speaking with two individuals, both of whom appear to be children. They are both quite short in appearance, but having encountered dwarves in Erdboden prior, Cyrus and Gwenivere know better than to simply assume.

One of the short individuals is a girl with pink hair and bright green eyes. Her attire is akin to that of a grade-schooler, complete with an adorably fancy hat and small backpack. A nervous expression is plastered upon her countenance, and she looks to be incredibly fidgety. A tome rests on a clip at her hip, suggesting she might be a caster of some kind. When the trio draws near, she bows to them in greeting, but says nothing. The three return the bow in kind, but elect to give their names. The lass speaks up to introduce herself in turn, though she stumbles a bit. "M- My name's F- Fae; it's nice to meet you!" Her voice is definitely indicative of a child, but even this is not good enough as confirmation.

At her side is a lad with brown skin and silver hair. His garments are quite decorative, and he wears what can only be described as a shimmering golden crown atop his head. His eyes are a sparkling purple, filled with purpose and determination in equal measure. The lad carries himself with the disposition of a young prince, or at the very least someone who handles his responsibilities with a serious approach. He waves to the trio, offering up a greeting. "I am Hayato Yasujiro, first prince of the Yasujiro Clan." Cyrus and Gwenivere adopt blank expressions in response to this, which causes Hayato to adopt a look of concern. "Is something the matter? The wizard looks frazzled."

Unbeknownst to himself, Cyrus' skin has turned pale. He is quick to rebound, collecting himself and regaining his composure. "My apologies, Lord Hayato; it's just…your family name is familiar. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, may I have the name of your father?"

"Ah, of course; my father is Nagato Yasujiro; he wrenched leadership of the clan from its previous ruler, who was little more than a relentless tyrant. If it will spark your memory further, my mother is named Mina; her origins lie with the Takeda Clan."

Gwenivere falls silent at this, as does Fiona. The two are worried for what Cyrus' reaction might be, but are surprised to see Cyrus crouch down to make eye contact with Hayato. He asks, "How is he? Nagato, I mean. Is your father well?"

"Oh yes, quite. He has the full support of the clan, and mother makes sure he never takes on more than he can handle. A just ruler, and he's done well to keep himself from shouldering his burdens alone." The young prince wears a wide smile as he boasts of his father; his expression alone is enough to bring Cyrus some degree of peace. "Truly, I couldn't be more proud of him."

Another soft smile fixes itself upon Cyrus' lips before he nods. "That…that is good; be sure to look after him, Lord Hayato."

"Might you be an old friend of the family? I admit that I do not dabble in much socialization, nor do I ask my father to speak of his youth."

Cyrus rubs the back of his head in embarrassment, letting out a weak chuckle before he can give a proper reply. "Your father and I go way back, but not in this world. I'm from…"

Hayato unintentionally cuts him off, his expression brightening as he realizes who Cyrus is. "You're the famous interloper! The original leader of Seekers, yes?" Cyrus nods, opting to remain silent. "That means you know of two separate iterations of my father; I'd love to hear any tales you might be willing to share, even if only for the sake of comparison." Cyrus nods again, to which Hayato jumps for joy.

Breaking his long silence, Egar directs his attention to Cyrus and says, "Fae here is a Botanist in training; though young, she shows much promise. Lord Hayato is a Shaman; the closest equivalents you might be aware of are the Troubadours of Etria and the Dancers of Tharsis. Both are members of the Brouni race, known for their medical wisdom and talents within the realm of spiritual arts. Your party seems to have two slots remaining; I recommend adding these two to your ranks."

Looking to the duo, Cyrus says, "We'd be happy to have you both, if you're willing to join."

Hayato affirms his decision immediately, lacking any semblance of hesitation. Fae, too nervous to give a verbal reply, simply walks over to take her place at Cyrus' side. She grabs hold of his pants leg and nods to the Guildmaster. Egar, pleased with this development, directs the group's attention to the clipboard he prepared earlier. "The leader will sign this sheet first, providing the Guild's name in turn. The remainder of the group may sign in any order after that." This task is handled swiftly; taking the clipboard in hand, Egar nods, pleased with everything being in order. "Very well; the Seekers are registered. Your next step will be the Council Hall; the initiation mission awaits." Placing the clipboard back on the table, he crosses his arms once more and gives a parting word. "Good luck to you all; I look forward to hearing of your exploits."

Stepping out into the city, the party of five huddles close together in an effort to force its way through the early morning traffic. Fiona groans at this, making no effort to hide the displeased expression plastered on her face. She finds herself needing to press the side of her face against Cyrus' in order to avoid being shoved to the ground by a much larger and incredibly muscular Earthlain, presumably a Pugilist. "The first of the Emperor is quickly becoming my most hated day of the year."

Gwenivere sticks close to her allies, sometimes pulling herself closer to Cyrus by way of hooking an arm around his waist. "I have been to parades less crowded than this. Is this the population density at work or are there truly that many explorers?" Cyrus comments that the traffic for Armoroad was much worse than this, to which Gwenivere looks at him with an expression mixed with horror and disgust. It does not take long for the party to escape this chaotic sea of people, placing them in a clearing just beneath a decorated branch converted into an archway. "The denizens built around nature instead of tearing it down." She smiles at the sight. "The city is more beautiful for the choice; it's a lot like home."

Cyrus takes a seat on a nearby bench, with Fae quick to follow suit by taking a seat at his side. "Might as well take a moment to enjoy the scenery; I'm sure the members of the council could make do with one less Guild bothering them." He breathes in the fresh air on this crisp spring morning, letting out a rather content sigh soon after. "Indeed, let us give them a moment of respite."

Taking a seat beside her husband, Gwenivere silently concedes to the notion of taking a break. She looks to Fae, who has been silent since before the group departed the Explorers Guild. Her expression betrays no semblance of discomfort, but her silence is disquieting. "Fae, dear, is everything alright?"

"H- Huh?" She lets her nervousness show, revealing that the stoic expression from moments prior was little more than a façade. "I, um…I don't do too well with crowds." She twiddles her thumbs, looking down to the ground below as she follows, "The only reason I made it into the Explorers Guild the first time is because of a nice Pugilist. He, um, was kinda lost, and needed someone to help him find his Guild. We found them right by the entrance." She looks to Cyrus and Gwenivere, cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "I didn't even realize I didn't have a way back out…th- thank you so much for being there. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't let me join."

Gwenivere shoots a warm smile Fae's way. "You needn't think anything of it, sweetie. We're happy to have you." Her expression suddenly shifts to display minor concern; a sudden thought has just occurred to her. "Is there any age limit for being an explorer?" Looking to the three people she's just met, more specifically Hayato and Fae, she follows, "I can't quite pin the ages of my new comrades. Cyrus is 21, and I am not far behind as far as the Erdboden calendar is concerned."

Fiona rests a hand on her hip, electing to reveal her age first. "I'm 22; my birthday is the 14th of Dormouse." She glances at Cyrus, that mischievous look in her eyes returning. "Be sure to get me something nice this year too, Cyrus ol' buddy." He rolls his eyes in response, but shoots her a smile all the same.

Hayato is the next to speak. "I'm 16 years old; I'll be 17 come the month of the Tiger."

Fae, despite her nervousness, looks up to say, "I'm 10," a revelation that causes everyone's eyes to go wide. "U- Um, is something wrong? Is there a ghost behind me?!" Her head turns half-way to assess the danger, but she quickly relents and maintains a forward stare. ' _No, you can't look back! What if the ghost gets angry at me?!_ '

Cyrus runs his hand through his hair, letting out a sustained "Hoo~" as he takes the moment to let the information settle in his mind. He takes another look at Fae and tries to speak, but can only let out another "Hoo~". The girl tilts her head inquisitively at the man, quite confused by the collective reactions of her comrades. Before long, Cyrus collects himself and says, "That makes you the youngest member of Seekers to date." His countenance takes a serious turn, enough to send a shiver down Fae's spine. "The Labyrinth is dangerous, Fae, incredibly so. You're going to see things that will unsettle you; we of the Seekers Guild always find ourselves in the thick of it, always the first to answer the call of the most dangerous threats."

Fae balls both of her hands into fists and performs a fist pump close to her chest. She musters the toughest-looking expression she can make in an effort to show her determination. It comes across as being adorable instead, causing everyone except Cyrus to snicker. "I can do this. I- I won't get in the way!" Cyrus shakes his head to this, to which the lass' expression momentarily deflates. "Bu- bu-"

"This isn't about you getting in the way, Fae; it's about you being prepared for the danger."

"Who's going to heal you when you get hurt?!" He reels back at her sudden outburst, taken aback by the child's surprising degree of intensity. Her expression is quite furious now, likely a result of her feeling insulted. "I'm an explorer, too! I trained for this…I can keep everyone safe, so please let me stay. I mean, I'm scared, but so are the rest of you! I can handle this." She stares at the Guild's leader, knowing that, above all else, she has to prove her resolve to him if no one else. The emotions behind her outburst are slowly creeping up on her, bringing her to the verge of tears, but they are held back. One last plea escapes her, barely a whisper as it sounds. "Please?"

Though silent for a long moment, Cyrus' expression makes it quite clear that he's not going to refuse Fae's declaration. Looking to Gwenivere, it's all he can do to force back his smile. "Gwenivere, when we have our first child, I think you're going to need to play the role of the strict parent; I don't think I can do this." Fae recognizes this as his acceptance, and opts to lunge at him, burying her face in his chest as she thanks him. "See? Even she realizes the fact."

Fiona looks on in disbelief, crossing her arms and shaking her head in disappointment. "And yet you were perfectly capable of getting strict with Amy."

"Amy is my sister-in-law, Fiona; quite different from either a niece or a daughter."

Hayato rests a fist beneath his chin, adopting a contemplative stance. "How strange. Father acts the same way towards my younger cousins, especially the girls."

Smirking at the notion, Cyrus adds, "Nagato's always been like that with infants. He loves small animals, too. I still remember the kitten he brought back to his palace. Made the little one a throne, a scaled down replica of his own – named her Nala."

"Ah, Nala exists in your world, too?! She's such an angel. Oh, but here she's a tigress, rather than a normal cat." Gwenivere and Fiona can't help but widen their eyes at this, though Hayato is too busy reminiscing to notice. The party's moment of respite ends shortly after this, leaving its members to tarry no longer as they make way for the Council Hall.

The building is grand, befitting its station, but Fiona and Cyrus can't help but comment on how its scale is less than that of the Senatus in Armoroad. Letting out a sigh, Fiona shrugs. "The Senatus is a pretty high bar, though; those guys make everything in jumbo size." The interior is likewise quaint in its regal presentation. With a focus of gold and blue, the design opted for subdued hues. Vines and branches twine around the supporting columns, giving the royal hall an aged visage. "It looks as if nature is taking over, but there is a distinct lack of the forest's scent."

A voice rings out from further within the building; "You have our countless documents to thank for that, young Fencer." Looking to the voice's source, the party is met with the sight of a young man advancing towards them. Garbed in beautiful gold and blue regal attire, this young man adorns himself with a red shoulder cape and carries his person with both grace and confidence. Curiously, he lacks an attendant, in spite of what is expected of someone of his supposed station. Purple hair tops his head, covering most of the diadem that can be seen between his parted bangs. A pair of grayish-blue eyes studies the party, presumably gauging their mettle as explorers. "You are new explorers, yes? I have not seen your faces prior to now."

The Seekers introduce themselves, making small talk with the royal before settling back into the important task at hand. "I am Ramus, royal prince of the Earthlains. It is my hope that your bravery in the Labyrinth will help build a better future for our city." He steps away to a side area, soon returning with map parchment; Cyrus cannot help but find a smile etching onto his face as he thinks towards the future of charting another Yggdrasil. Fiona is privy to this smile, and chuckles in kind. "Your first mission is to investigate the Labyrinth, but you will require a map of the forest to accomplish such a task." He hands the parchment over to Cyrus, who accepts the yield graciously. "As you chart the first floor, we ask that you also endeavor to procure a sample of Yggdrasil's roots, as well as its soil."

"How curious. You're studying the tree more thoroughly and readily than past cities I've visited."

"It is just as well. Unlike the various cities of the other continents, we of Iorys have long since held a distant relationship with the Yggdrasil Tree. Yggdrasil was once considered too sacred, too dangerous to warrant study; the devastation wrought by the one who abused the tree's power was…beyond compare."

Though intrigued by this city's past, Gwenivere reins in her curiosity. "I should like to pour through this city's library at some point; might that be permissible?"

"Yes, of course. We would never turn away an aspiring scholar. Before you depart, I recommend visiting the marketplace to stock up on supplies." He glances about the party again, attempting see if there were any details he might have missed during his initial scan. "You lot look well prepared, especially for beginners, but there's no such thing as being 'too prepared'." The Seekers nod to Ramus' suggestion, and take their leave soon after. The early traffic is beginning to subside, though the path to the Explorers Guild still retains its visage as an endless sea of people. Fae takes point, claiming that she will lead the group down a more convenient route to their destination.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Indeed, I have been absent for a long, long time. My ability to write in any meaningful capacity was taken away as a result of life circumstances that have remained pressing for over a year. Now that the situation has slowed to an acceptable point, I feel that I can get back on track. That said...there is a lot to take care of, so I apologize in advance if I ever start lagging. I do intend to focus on EOV for now, but I will endeavor to backtrack to finish FDW and upload the stories for EO2U, EOIII, and EOIV._


	2. The First Campaign

**Chapter 2: The First Campaign**

True to Fae's word, she leads her new comrades down a collection of paths less traveled. The Seekers manage to avoid the tumultuous traffic, soon finding themselves within the marketplace of Iorys. Rather than dedicated buildings to sell each craftsman's set of wares, this city hosts an outdoor bazaar, leaving all competitors out in the open for customers to freely roam. Natural shading is provided as a result of many stalls having been built directly within the space allotted by hollowed out tree trunks. One such stall even houses a weapon's forge; it is this stall that Fae directs her comrades to.

"Mr. Syrik?! Are you here?!"

Fae's call is quickly answered by a fellow Brouni stepping from behind a curtain. In his hands is presumably a checkbook, though he is quick to store it in a pouch so that he may yield his attention to a potential customer. The Brouni in question is taller than both Hayato and Fae; his eyes are a brighter shade of green in comparison to Fae, and his hair is akin to a red autumn leaf. His attire consists primarily of brighter colors – white and light shades of green – atop his head is a hat with protective goggles attached. He smiles at the Seekers, adopting a welcoming posture as he steps forward to properly address his potential patrons.

"Heya, Fae; come to buy more supplies?" Fae shakes her head, to which Syrik replies, "Is that right?" Looking to the others, he follows, "You all are new faces; welcome to my shop; the name's Syrik. I assume you're here with Fae?" Cyrus steps forward to shake Syrik's hand and introduce his guild mates. "Oh, so you're all explorers, come to challenge Yggdrasil…wait." He looks to Fae, whose smiling face only compounds his growing concern. "Fae, you didn't join a Guild, did you?"

"Uh huh. Yep."

Looking to Cyrus, Syrik shades his eyes and asks, "She was ready to cry, wasn't she?" Cyrus says nothing, but his shift in facial expression tells the merchant all he needs to know. "Figured as much; this kid can be as threatening as any beast; don't let her friends tell you otherwise." He shrugs, unwilling to try and change Fae's stance on this matter. He takes his place behind the counter, ready to conduct business. Without needing to say a word, he simply watches as Cyrus gathers up all of the things his Guild is going to purchase. "Well now! Don't you have an eye for quality?"

"It comes with the territory, Syrik. I'm a craftsman myself, and this is my fourth run through an Yggdrasil Labyrinth."

"Oh, a vet, are we? Then I guess I needn't tell ya my business model. Be sure to come to me for all your Labyrinth needs; I'll be sure to take care of the Seekers."

"You have yourself a deal, friend. And please, do not worry yourself over Fae's well-being; we'll protect her."

"I'm more worried about who will protect you lot from her." As much as Cyrus wants to question that, he and the rest of the Seekers find themselves vacating the area. More customers are starting to flock to this location, presenting the need for this Guild's members to make themselves scarce. Syrik bids them a farewell before cracking his knuckles in preparation for the next wave.

Fiona elects to take point and directs her allies to Jenetta's Inn. Stepping inside, the four unfamiliar with the place are immediately met with the gentle scent of roses wafting on the breeze, as well as Jenetta's cheerful greeting and smiling face. Fiona takes the moment to introduce everyone before taking a seat at a large table. Cyrus takes a seat beside his fellow Fencer, soon finding his thoughts occupied. He looks to Jenetta again, who is busy conversing with Fae and Hayato on some matter. He notices a peculiar trait that sparks a memory. ' _Wait…her eyes have been closed this whole time._ ' He leans over to ask Fiona if she'd ever seen Aman's son open his eyes back in Armoroad, which she answers with a negative. "I thought as much. Peculiar indeed. Dalla and the lad running the Rooster Inn never opened their eyes either…"

Fiona gives a shrug, her expression unchanging. "It's probably just your imagination." She claps her hands together, catching her team's attention; ignoring the empty stare Cyrus is shooting her way, she clears her throat and speaks. "I figured now would be a good opportunity for the five of us to discuss our combat strategy going forward." Looking to Gwenivere, she asks, "This is your first time in this world, right? I imagine you have yet to adjust to our aether flow."

She nods in reply, crossing her arms and letting out a small sigh. "A guess as true as any. The flow of aether in this world is indeed unlike that of Erdboden. I can barely cast the most basic spells Cyrus taught me in our youth; to be reduced to such a low level is…well to be blunt, I'm rather miffed." She falls silent, her mind suddenly fixated on how she might recover from this loss in power. A nod soon follows, though it is directed at none of her comrades. "I'll simply have to increase my efforts as Cyrus trains me." She looks to her husband, a knowing smile upon her lips "I'll be counting on you, love, as ever."

"I'll continue to ensure that trust is not misplaced."

Fae is the next to speak; "I can heal everyone, but I also have combat training." She then pushes her fingers together, a blush appearing on her cheeks as she deliberately avoids eye contact with the others. "I- um, I use herbs to make smoke bombs. I only have two kinds, bu- but I can poison or blind the enemy."

A smile forms on Cyrus' face at the mention of the latter status ailment. Gwenivere and Fiona roll their eyes at this, saying, in unison, "Gods, here we go again with this." They glance at one another before having a giggle at Cyrus' expense. The man is too busy processing Fae's revelation to notice.

"If we improve your ability to consistently blind the enemy, we will have an incredible boon to our setup."

Jenetta finds this curious. Placing a finger beneath her chin, she asks, "Are you planning to be a Fencer, Cyrus?" His affirmation causes her expression to brighten, though no one is sure why. "I bet you'll be great at dodging the enemy, but I wonder how well you'll draw attention to yourself."

Fiona scoffs at this, crossing her arms as she says, "He had an easy enough time of it in Armoroad."

"Fiona, I apologized for that, right? Besides, the Hoplite Skills are primarily used to protect a general line of comrades; it's not as if you were specifically trying to protect me."

"That's not the point." Before Cyrus can offer a rebuttal, she continues, "That aside, the Fencer class doesn't have options for handling attacks that cover a wide area."

"That is why we make use of evasion buffs and Fae's ability to blind the opposition. She needn't handle the task alone either, for I have access to a Skill called…I believe it was Optic Thrust? For the time being, I'll work on using that and predicting the enemy's movements." Fiona can only stare at him, albeit with an expression whose meaning Cyrus is entirely unsure of. "Is my assessment at fault?"

"Huh?" She then realizes she must have been staring at him. She shakes her head, even waving her hands for emphasis. "No, no, you're good. I was just thinking…you haven't changed." She smiles as she stakes this claim; "You were always thinking, be it about a new strategy or a way to optimize an existing one." She delivers a light punch to his shoulder, her smile shifting to a smirk. "This is your first real attempt at tanking, right? I better not catch you lacking."

Cyrus scoffs at this, but can't help but smile all the same. "Fair dame, you dare? I shall show you my powers of adaptability. Mark me, Fiona – I shall show you the end result of our party synergy." She gives no reply, instead staring at him once more. "No, seriously; is there something on my face?"

"What? Ah, dammit, I was staring again. I'm not used to you talking about teamwork so…enthusiastically. Too often were you so quick to fly off on your own." Cyrus falls silent at this, directing his attention at the table. "I mean no offense, Cyrus. I-"

Holding a hand up, Cyrus cuts his comrade's sentence short. He shakes his head, silently making a statement of admittance. "You have the right of it." He begins lightly scratching at his right cheek, his attention going to the ceiling above as a sigh escapes him. Another moment passes before the realization truly dawns on him. "You're not wrong, Fiona, though I am working to change." His attention falls back to her. "I only ask that you give me time." She gives a simple nod, causing a smile to form on his face. Looking to Hayato, he says, "That leaves only you, Lord Hayato."

"Right, as a Shaman, I call forth the power of spirits to assist us in battle." To demonstrate this power, he holds up his hand, which causes a ring of shimmering cards to encircle his form. Fae's expression lights up at this, though only for the notion of the pretty colors on display. Hayato pulls a blue card from this selection and tosses it towards the ceiling. A short moment follows before everyone in the room feels a protective aura form around them. Hayato's cards disappear, though their effect lingers.

Not feeling any surge in her offensive capability, Gwenivere asks, "Was that a defensive spell of some sort?"

"Indeed, the effect of that card is known as Aegis Prayer; it bolsters the party's defenses on both the physical and elemental fronts." Cyrus snaps his fingers, summoning forth a notebook and pen from a portal of darkness. As he begins to write, Hayato adopts an inquisitive look and draws closer. "Pray tell, what are you writing?"

"Skill focus; our party will reach an accord much faster if everyone's progression is laid bare. Conveniently enough, the base kits of our Classes are incredibly straight-forward, and aside from yours, Lord Hayato, they are also not terribly costly in terms of time investment." He lingers for a moment upon drafting Fiona's portion of this outline. He looks to her, and then back to the page. "Hm…"

"Something wrong, Cyrus?"

"The Chain Skills are…unique. They appear to be a combination of the traditional Chaser Skills used in Etria, as well as the Links used in Tharsis. Perhaps even more important than that is the fact that these Skills are available from the outset; there's no need to wait until the Third Stratum to begin properly investing."

Tightening the drawstring on his new bow, Hayato asks, "Is that why you bought this bow for me?"

"Yes, we'll need reliable means to trigger those Chains since they don't boast the convenience of Links. Until you can incorporate Dance Oracle into your repertoire, we'll make do with this."

Jenetta returns to the dining room, balancing two platters on her hands. The Seekers collectively search around the room, surprised to find that none of them noticed the innkeeper had left in the first place. She sets the platters down on the table's center, urging the standing members of the party to take seats of their own. The meal consists of a quaint breakfast – French toast topped with melting butter, complemented with a small bowl of blueberry syrup for dipping purposes; fried eggs sandwiched between a freshly baked cheddar biscuit – atop the fried egg is a fried slice of turkey, with two strips of crispy bacon placed just atop that; a pitcher of orange juice rests at the center of all this, presumably to serve as a refill for the filled cups the group has already been provided.

"Eat up, everyone! No explorer should ever head out on an empty stomach!" The Seekers express a collective childish cheer, giving thanks to the meal and its chef before commencing the feast. Rather than disappearing again, Jenetta lingers in the dining room, straightening what she considers to be misaligned curtains. As she works, she elects to spark conversation. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected any less of an experienced Guild."

Being the only one not busy chewing food, Fiona looks to the innkeeper and asks, "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you know; most Guilds would book a room and then dash straight to the Labyrinth. The five of you took a seat and started strategizing." Pointing one of her ears towards Cyrus, specifically his open notebook, she follows, "Just look at Cyrus there; I only see that level of note-taking from Celestrian patrons. Tell me, do you have a lot of experience with Chaser Skills?" To her surprise, Cyrus shakes his head. "Really?"

"The Etrian Branch wasn't built to accommodate a Chaser Landsknecht, but Alex was gracious enough to inform me on ways to build around them. As for the Links of Tharsis, I have limited practice working with them, for our Landsknecht in that Branch switched over to another Class just when we could have properly invested in said Links."

"Sounds like this will be your best opportunity. I have faith in you all, but please be careful out there." Her ears twitch, causing her attention to turn towards the entrance of the inn. "Ah, more customers. I must be going, but don't worry about your plates; I'll take care of them shortly. Bye-bye now!"

Despite her reassurance, the Seekers – notably Cyrus and Fiona – stack their now cleaned plates together and carry them to the kitchen before departing. The walk to the Labyrinth's entrance is short, roughly a half-hour trip akin to Armoroad. This iteration of Yggdrasil is somewhat akin to Armoroad's Labyrinth as well, with the entrance evoking the sense of some sort of ruin. Tiny statues can be found in irregular bursts along the way; the expressions drawn upon them strike both Fae and Gwenivere as cute. Though they would each like to take one home as a souvenir, Hayato advises against it.

"Those statues may appear harmless, but they were once active golems charged with the protection of the Labyrinth's entrance."

Stepping into the Labyrinth proper, the group is greeted by a sight akin to the Waterfall Woods, the First Stratum of Armoroad's Yggdrasil. Luscious green vegetation stretches as far as the eye can see, with plenty of nature having laid claim to the tiny statues that litter the ground. Flowers of various vibrant colors rest at the base of trees, boasting a brilliant hue courtesy of the beaming sunlight. Just beyond the first floor's initial clearing is a tall tree, one that stands taller than any other on the floor. A small lake separates this tree from the Seekers; there is no means of crossing in sight.

Looking to the tree's canopy, Fiona holds a hand over her head like a visor to keep the sun out of her eyes. A flock of birds can be seen perched above, with a second smaller flock flying by overhead. "That's probably where our root samples are gonna be." The party travels west, soon entering a second small clearing that houses a door. Fiona approaches this door, but quickly learns "It's one of those sealed doors." A groan escapes her, followed by a frustrated click of the tongue. Turning her head, she can see a floating unopened treasure chest beyond a stretch of water that is too far for her to jump across. What was once a displeased expression has shifted to rage, accentuated by a glare capable of burning through steel.

Fiona finds herself being lifted by the waist, to which she responds by flailing her arms. Though she cannot see who or what has picked her up, she needn't ponder. She shouts for Cyrus to set her down at once so that she may procure that treasure chest. "No can do, friend; needs must we obtain that chest later on." The others observe this sight from a slight distance, soon shrugging their shoulders after silently determining that this behavior must be a normal occurrence.

The western path proves to be a dead end. Aside from the sealed door, the group could only find a spot that looks to be a chicken feeding ground, as well as a spot near a river stream that strikes Cyrus as perfect for fishing. Cyrus takes a knee near a boulder and sets to work on the map of the first floor. Fae stands on the rock, being granted a vantage point suited to observing Cyrus as he works. She tilts her head at the sight, noting that the map is awfully detailed in spite of how little the Guild has actually seen. "You must really like drawing maps."

He chuckles at this, making no effort to hide the smile on his face. "I had to spend a lot of time at home when I was a lad, so I'd sometimes draw my own dungeon maps."

"Ooh! You mean for 'Labyrinths & Drakes', right?"

"Not quite. In Erdboden, we play a game called 'Caverns & Wyverns'."

"I've never played either; I've only watched friends at school play."

He ceases his charting to look back at the girl. "You weren't interested?"

She shakes her head. "It looked fun, but I didn't know the rules, so I didn't want them to waste time teaching me…"

He rolls up the map and rises to his feet. "We certainly can't have that; when time permits, I shall purchase a copy of L&D – you and I can learn the rules together." Fae's expression lights up at this; she reflexively asks if his words are true, to which Cyrus follows, "I am a man of my word, Fae; Cyrus Coelistis never breaks a promise." The child motions to tackle him again; he is fully prepared, and catches her as the momentum of her lunge forces the two to spin in place. Looking to the left, he can see a trio of acorns approaching this location. He blinks twice and then strains his eyes, unconvinced. ' _Those…are actually acorns._ ' He calls for the remainder of the party to assemble; he then sets Fae on her feet so that he can take his own place at the front.

Fiona and Gwenivere stare at the acorns in disbelief, not quite sure what to make of this situation. One acorn steps forward, angling its head to look up at Cyrus. It begins to speak, its voice ringing out as a series of clicks and clacks to everyone but Cyrus. "Hark, mortal, for you stand before the rabid uprising!"

"Pray tell, what are you rising against?"

"Why, the tyranny of the Air Squirrels! Those furry dastards think they can do as they please with our people just because they can fly; our power shall grow, and they shall fall – brought low like the rodents they are."

Hayato and Fae look on in confusion. The latter of the two tugs at the hem of Gwenivere's skirt to get her attention. Crouching down, Gwenivere answers Fae's efforts and asks of what may trouble the child. "Can Cyrus understand that Rabid Acorn?" Gwenivere nods, and then explains that the Runic Eye allows Cyrus to communicate with anything that houses a soul within it. "Wow, that's really cool; does that eye do anything else?"

"It serves many purposes, but I shall share them with you some other time."

Cyrus turns to his party and relays the information he has learned from the acorns. "These three are the leaders of the uprising, and are in a bind at present." He points towards the eastern path, where a pair of Rabid Acorns can be seen engaging in battle. Their foe is a single plant monster, green in color, with two purple vines extended from its form. The vines are lined with thorns, and boast hook-like attachments at their tips. "That creature there is known as a Roper, and is the primary predator of the Air Squirrels." He shakes his head at the sight. "Those two acorns have betrayed the uprising, having defected to serving under the squirrels in hopes of entering better graces. There are many such instances of desertion."

Hayato scoffs at the sight, crossing his arms as he angles his head towards the ground. "Pitiful. Surely they realize that the Air Squirrels will only postpone the day of their consumption? They're not actually safe."

"The leaders of the uprising have made a request of us – Aid them in this struggle, and bring the tyranny of the squirrels to a close."

Gwenivere asks, "The populations of both species are shifting unfavorably, yes?" Cyrus nods. "I am in favor of assisting the acorns; the forest shall suffer if their numbers are thinned."

Fae looks to Gwenivere, noting the serious expression on her face. She then looks to Cyrus and says, "I don't really get what's going on, but I'll help if that's what Gwenivere wants."

Fiona offers no objection, nor does Hayato. Returning his focus to the acorn trio, Cyrus nods and says, "You shall have our support."

The three acorns begin hopping in place, presumably as a means of expressing their joy. "Excellent! We shall make haste and alert our comrades of your intentions." They then depart, leaving the path ahead cleared. The Seekers exchange glances with one another, but say nothing before moving eastward. A guard can be seen up ahead tending to a flock of chickens. A soft smile rests upon his countenance as the flock clucks happily around him. Chicken feed can be seen scattered around the forest ground; the chickens alternate between feeding and simply roaming about. None flee when the Seekers approach.

The guard rises from the fallen tree branch he was sitting on and hails the Seekers over. "Well met, explorers; I've not seen your faces before, so I take it you must be new to Iorys?" They nod to the claim and introduce themselves. Upon seeing the map floating in the space near Cyrus, he follows, "You may be new to the city, but you're certainly not rookie explorers; are you a veteran, sir?"

"This is my fourth run through an Yggdrasil Labyrinth, actually, though this will only be my second time leading a Guild." A chicken approaches him; instead of eating the feed nearby, the bird looks up to Cyrus and extends a greeting. He crouches down and gently scratches the chicken's neck with his pinky finger. "A friendly one, aren't you?" Looking to the guard, he follows, "My old man used to work on his parents' farm before he began studying as a doctor. I can't say I know much about tending to animals, but I'd say this flock of yours is doing pretty well."

"That's kind of you to say; these little ones are my pride and joy."

A rustling sounds from a thicket in the distance, prompting the solider to take up his spear and rally his flock to take up a defensive formation behind him. Two beings emerge from the thicket, one airborne, the other grounded. At the fore is a squirrel whose shape is akin to a balloon. Its fur is primarily yellow in color, with the portions covering its feet, tail, and neck being purple. Its beady black eyes stare the group down, filled with malice. Behind it is a Roper, which comes as a surprise for the Seekers. The party moves ahead of the guardsman, with Fiona explaining that they will handle this battle. The guardsman nods and falls back with his flock, though his weapon remains ready.

Cyrus draws a dagger from the sheath attached to his thigh, twirling it within his grip before eventually settling on a standard grip. "I can only assume this Air Squirrel struck a deal with the Roper – it will lead it to a superior food source in exchange for remaining off the platter." As he speaks, he steadily keeps the monsters' attention on him while straying from the rest of his party. After observing the enemy pair, he glances to his party to give further instruction. "The Squirrel is weak to volt and stabbing attacks; we shall focus our efforts on it. Fae, focus on poisoning that Roper. Lord Hayato, we need defense." He then charges towards the Air Squirrel, taking the Brounis of his party by surprise. Of the Seekers, he is the first to act, motioning to limit the squirrel's vision by using his dagger to stab one of its eyes.

The Air Squirrel shrieks in pain from this advance and attempts to retaliate by slamming its entire being into its aggressor, but narrowly misses the mark. Cyrus capitalizes on this wasted effort and slices open one of the squirrel's legs. Hayato pulls a shimmering card from the selection that has appeared before him, granting him and his allies a defensive buff through Aegis Prayer. Fiona surges her rapier into the hide of the squirrel, but doesn't strike any vital organs. Glancing to the side, she can see the Roper reeling one of its vines back for an attack; she calls for Cyrus to dodge, but he is a bit too slow to react, and suffers a strike to his side – the cut is shallow due to Aegis Prayer's effect. Gwenivere finishes her chant, sending a bolt of lightning to strike the squirrel, ending its life in the process.

With a clear shot now available, Fae throws a spherical bomb at the Roper, internally worried that she might miss the mark. ' _Don't miss; don't miss; don't miss._ ' It explodes into an isolated small cloud of purple smoke. ' _D- Did it work?_ ' Curiously, the cloud dissipates rather quickly, leaving an ailing Roper in its wake. Its movements become sluggish; its struggle to use its vines becomes increasingly obvious. The rest of the party holds back so that Gwenivere may throw a fireball to put the plant out of its misery. The Seekers sheathe their weapons, their first battle of Yggdrasil won with little difficulty. Fae walks over to Cyrus, pulling some supplies from her backpack so that she may attend to the wound on his side. "A- Are you OK?"

"'Tis merely a scratch, though I admit your efforts are making the wound sting a lot less." A moment passes. "Oh, now the pain is gone completely; impressive work, Fae." She giggles at his praise, but says nothing before moving to check the rest of the party. With everyone's well-being confirmed, they turn their attention back to the guardsman and his flock. "Wow, not a single chicken fled the scene."

Gwenivere adds, "What's more, there was not a sound to be heard from them."

The guard smiles at this. "The little ones are quite loyal, though they do tend to wander off on their own. Sometimes I wonder if they have no sense of danger." He bows to the Seekers in gratitude. "Many thanks for coming to our aid." The Seekers give thanks in turn for the guard's gratitude, and then set off to continue their adventure. To the south is a door, one that lacks the seal boasted by the western door. Stepping inside, the Seekers are greeted by the sight of a large clearing. A few small ponds are interspersed about the area; a stream flowing into a much larger body of water can be seen off in the distance near an ascending staircase.

Fiona and Cyrus stare in disbelief at the sight. The former is the first to break the silence as she says, "That has to be a record; reaching this staircase took practically no effort." She looks to the southern end of the clearing to see several ore deposits. "A Mining Point as well." She and Cyrus work together to procure samples from these deposits, though their yield is light. Fiona holds up a cut of ore covered in moss. "I can't rightfully say I know what this is, but I bet you could appraise it after a cleaning."

"Indeed." He studies the cracked mudstone in his hand, making an effort to discern the specific materials within based on what he can see through the cracks. "There might be some iron to extract from this cut, but we'll have to find out later." The party takes its leave of this clearing. Though the second floor is within reach, they must abide by the limitations of the initiation mission. Returning to the area with the guardsman reveals that the Seekers forgot to relieve a treasure chest of its contents. Fiona is more than happy to do so, and is rewarded with a Power Ring. She hands it to Cyrus.

He walks over to Gwenivere and places the ring on her right index finger, a gesture that brings a blush to her cheeks. The ruby gem sparkles in the morning sun, accentuating her current visage. "Love, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm operating as a mage now; this ring would be better suited on you or Dame Fiona."

"We haven't the equipment slots for it."

"Cyrus, my love. What in the Seven Hells does that even mean?"

"This world…it has rules, complicated ones at that. These rules impose limitations that cannot be bypassed, save for unique circumstances. For example, neither you nor I can equip a katana as we are, despite our proficiency with the weapon; our chosen Classes prevent such action."

"Beg your pardon?" She looks to Fiona, whose solemn nod only affirms Cyrus' claims. "That's ridiculous. Is there some sort of deity in power to enact such impositions?"

Cyrus opens his mouth to speak, only to immediately close it. He adopts an inquisitive stance to further contemplate the matter. "That's a good question, one that I never even thought of." Seeing his wife's displeased expression deepen, he follows, "Er, at any rate! Milady, it would behoove you to keep the ring for now. The Rabid Acorn has a Conditional Drop that only you can reliably help us obtain." He pulls the Monstrous Codex from the group's belongings and turns to the page dedicated to the Rabid Acorn. On the list of potential item drops, there is a series of gold question marks at the bottom. "I surmise that we need bash damage to get this drop, which makes you the perfect candidate for the task." He puts away the codex before continuing, "Of course, you shouldn't head to the front line unless you have a clear shot; you will be quite vulnerable in your gear here, Milady – there is a notable difference between Erdboden and this planet."

To his surprise, Gwenivere just accepts this explanation. She thanks him for the ring with a kiss on the cheek before turning him around and pushing him onward. The group crosses beneath an archway, stepping into an area with another ore deposit. A pond rests at the eastern edge of this area, but neither Cyrus nor Fiona deems it an appropriate fishing spot. The group approaches the set of ore deposits, and is soon greeted by another Guild looking to mine as well.

At the head of this Guild is a fellow Fencer, one garbed in armor akin to Fiona's. He strikes the party as an affable sort, with blond hair and gentle blue eyes. A smile rests upon his countenance as he greets the party, revealing his name to be Conrad. "We're members of the Freeblade Guild." He rubs the back of his head, preemptively embarrassed by what he's about to admit. "We haven't progressed all that far, but we're working on it, day-by-day." He pulls out a card from his pocket, drawing a bit closer to show the Seekers its contents. He points to the heavily armored Earthlain woman standing guard near the ore deposits. Her short-cut pink hair sways gently in the breeze, but she is made less approachable by the stern expression on her face, one that is only further accentuated by her hardened crystal blue eyes. "That's Oriana, our Dragoon; she's a lot nicer than she looks."

The sounds of ore being crushed, as well as the enthusiastic shouting of a burly man, can be heard as Conrad directs everyone's attention to another of his guild mates. The person in question is an Earthlain man; his skin is brown, dark in shade to contrast his light brown eyes. His hair is auburn, though its shading gives it a faded purple hue. He is quickly revealed to be the one mining for ore, though he is carrying out the task with his fists instead of a pickaxe, a notion that causes Fae to take a cautious step behind Cyrus. "That's Abel, our Pugilist. He's…uh, yeah, he's about as scary as he looks, but he's a good guy! I've known him my whole life."

Off to the side are the last two Guild members of Freeblade. One is a tall Celestrian woman; she boasts silky white hair and lavender eyes, as well as a gray skin tone. A black dress clings to her frame, accentuating her curves; the dress sports a high cut, revealing much of her thighs. Her accessories include a pair of pink earrings that dangle in the wind, as well as a black shoulder cape that attaches to the strap securing her weapon to her back. "The lovely Celestrian there is Jilian, our Guild's magic expert." He gives a sheepish laugh before following, "She's saved my hide more than I'd like to admit; a kind and gentle sort who keeps the morale, even if she doesn't realize it."

Gwenivere steps up to Cyrus' side and, in no short terms, presents a clear statement. "Love, before we return to Erdboden, you simply must buy me a Celestrian dress just like that one – cape and all."

Cyrus and Conrad glance at each other, both sending a knowing smirk to the other, along with a thumbs-up only seen by the pair. "Most certainly, Milady; you will look quite divine." In his mind, Cyrus is giving a small cheer, though his expression does not betray his joy. ' _Life's good to me sometimes._ '

Sitting upon Jilian's lap is a Brouni with auburn hair and light blue eyes. Judging from his attire, he appears to be a student, just like Fae, but his uniform is different. The Brouni is currently reading a book with assistance from Jilian, suggesting that his studies are being furthered beyond the classroom. "The young lad there is Franklin, a hard worker dedicated to being a doctor when he grows up." Conrad's countenance suffers a decline for a moment. "The lad is an orphan; he used to live at the same orphanage Jilian grew up in, actually. She's the one who adopted him some five years ago from what we were told." He scratches his cheek, heaving a small sigh. "I was against someone so young joining us on this adventure, but Oriana came to Jilian's defense." He gives a chuckle, followed by a shrug of defeat. "Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever understand how that woman's mind works. Been friends since I joined the academy, but she's always a step ahead."

Cyrus chuckles at this in turn. "I have a friend like that back home. Sir Eric certainly increased his pace once he enrolled in the knight's academy." He pulls out a Guild Card of his own, and hands it to Conrad before introducing the rest of the Seekers. "I hope you and the rest of Freeblade will continue to scale Yggdrasil alongside us, Conrad." He pats the Fencer's shoulder before adding, "It would be quite nice to share stories now and again."

"Oh, definitely; I agree." He calls for the rest of his Guild, who each share proper introductions with the rest of the Seekers. The members of Freeblade elect to take their leave, for their inventory is nearing capacity. They bid farewell to the Seekers, and wish them a safe trek in turn. Cyrus' Guild decides to carry onward in order to fulfill at least one of the conditions set before them by the council.


	3. The Voice that Calls to Adventure

**Chapter 3: The Voice that Calls to Adventure**

Pressing onward, the Seekers proceed north, arriving at a medium-sized clearing that seems to serve as a final destination for just one of a larger body of water's many branching points. An assortment of marine life dwells within the stream, though none of it strikes the Guild as appetizing. Another chicken feeding ground can be seen near the water's edge, but it is of no consequence to the party at present. Fiona spots a familiar glint of green and gold towards the north; naturally inclined to approach this glint, she directs the party to the area's northern end. Though she is able to confirm the existence of the treasure chest, she has to contend with the fact that, once again, she is separated from the chest's contents by yet another large body of water.

She heaves a frustrated sigh before her gaze shifts to see a copper gleam shimmering from the ground. The gleam comes from a copper coin that Hayato notes is popular among merchants, which serves as plenty motivation for Fiona to commit to its acquisition. A loud snapping sound causes her to freeze in place. Turning her head, she can see a snapping turtle sitting quite close to the coin. It continues to snap its maw at her, though it does not appear to be in a threatening manner. Without looking to her comrades, she says, "Cyrus – translate for me."

To fulfill this request, Cyrus' voice momentarily adopts a deep baritone in an attempt to impersonate the turtle's voice. Such a gesture is completely unwarranted, but he commits to the cause all the same. "Greetings, foolish mortal! If this coin is what you seek, then you must defeat me!"

Fiona and Gwenivere both shiver in place, with the latter wrapping her arms around herself. A blush forms on her face. "Cyrus, dear, you must warn me before you do that tonal shift; you know good and well the things your voice does to me." She shudders again. "Good heavens…and in front of our friends no less!"

"I must agree with Lady Gwenivere, Cyrus; if I am to procure this coin, I cannot be mired by the effects of your wonderful voice."

Cyrus remains silent, capable of only making hand gestures before he eventually sighs in defeat and apologizes for his err. Fae looks to Hayato and admits that she doesn't understand what's going on, nor does she feel any adverse effects the way Gwenivere and Fiona do. Hayato adopts a contemplative stance, admitting that, "I don't quite understand this either, Fae. I have heard the maids of the palace describe my father's voice in a similar manner, but nothing further."

"I sure hope I don't grow up like that. It would suck if I couldn't talk to you or Cyrus just because your voice would make me weak."

Gwenivere clears her throat upon hearing this, and feels the need to correct Fae. "It is by no means a bad weakness to feel, Fae; you'll understand when you're older."

"So it's OK to feel weak sometimes? I don't get it."

Ignoring her comrades, Fiona makes it clear that she will accept the turtle's challenge. Instead of engaging in deception, she surges her hand forward to take the coin; as expected, the turtle reaches his head forward and bites her hand. She shrieks in pain and pulls her hand back. Cyrus and Hayato can't help but stifle their laughter upon seeing Fiona's tactless approach, as well as upon hearing how cute her shriek sounded. She glares back at them, causing them to quickly turn away. The blush on her cheeks only intensifies their desire to laugh.

Shrugging off the pain, she shakes her hand a few times before glaring at the turtle. Fiona then decides to motion her hand to the far left, directing the turtle's attention away from the coin. In a swift motion, she attempts to steal away the coin once again, but the turtle is a step ahead, biting her hand once more. Another shriek fills the air, soon followed by the snapping turtle shooting what appears to be a smirk at his opponent. Fiona gives another attempt at the coin, this time trying to overwhelm the turtle with too much information by flailing her arms mindlessly. For a moment, the ruse appears effective, but the committed effort to seize the coin is still met with a bitten hand.

"No…" Fiona holds her hand close to her chest, glaring at the turtle with a heated expression. "I shan't be bested by a mere turtle. I stood before the Abyssal God, damn it; I can't fall here…"

Fae watches the sight in bewilderment. ' _That turtle sure is smart. Hm…I wonder…_ ' She walks over to the scene behind the turtle; she picks him up and sets him down upon a flat rock further away from the coin. She then picks up the coin and holds it out to Fiona with a smile on her face. "Look, Fiona, we did it!" Instead of taking the coin into her grip, Fiona just gives a weak chuckle before falling backwards onto the grass. "Eh?! Fi- Fiona? A- Are you OK?"

Cyrus lifts his comrade from the ground and rests her upon his back. He heaves a sigh, followed by a chuckle, before bidding the turtle farewell and directing his comrades westward. In the small clearing just ahead, the group elects to take a break. Hayato and Fae take to reading through an encyclopedia of herbs together, though the latter falls asleep fairly quickly. She unintentionally ends up resting her head on Hayato's shoulder as she leaves him to read the book alone, but he doesn't seem to mind if his soft smile is any indication.

Gwenivere finds herself gathering new information from a small flock of crows that elected to land nearby. The entirety of the flock bows to her, to which she responds with a curtsey before striking up conversation. She learns of foraging grounds, as well as dangerous enemies to watch out for. Cyrus sets Fiona down upon a fallen tree branch before taking a seat beside her. His comrade won't even look him in the eye, far too ashamed by the preceding events, as well as the blush on her face. She lets out a huff and takes to resting on his lap, a gesture that surprises both Cyrus and Gwenivere. Her mouth forms a pout as she mumbles, "Stupid turtle."

Cyrus finds himself stroking Fiona's hair. Though he chuckles at her ire, she doesn't take offense. "Greed can be a blinding force, friend."

"You're telling me; I wasn't this bad in Armoroad, right?"

"Not that I can recall. To be fair, you were wearing heavy armor all the time, so you didn't have the luxury of moving as you pleased. I'd, well, let's be frank – any instance of your greed would have been overshadowed by Suzie anyway."

"This is true." She lays there for a moment, lingering on the last adventure she took with the Seekers. She turns around to look up at Cyrus, meeting his gaze with her own. Her flustered and embarrassed expression has been replaced with one of melancholy. "I've often wondered what the others were up to, and if they were safe; I thought of you and Amy the most, what with the war you two were dealing with at the time. Is she alright?"

"Of course; you know Amy can handle anything life throws at her. She's a lot stronger than I am."

She points an accusatory finger up at him, pressing quite harshly against the tip of his nose. "I cannot tell you how much worry you've caused me; I heard all about your exploits in Tharsis." She then takes to pinching his nose; "Can't you ever take it easy, you reckless dolt?"

"And just what do you think I'm doing at this moment?"

She heaves a sigh. Releasing Cyrus' nose, she instead widens her hand to shove his entire face backwards as she lifts herself from his lap. She looks back at him, a smirk on her face before she sticks her tongue out at him. His frown only elicits a laugh. Gwenivere can be heard giggling to herself in the distance, but she assures her husband that it's the result of a joke from one the crows. She seems to have forgotten that Cyrus can understand the crows just as she can, but he doesn't mention this, nor does he point out that none of the crows presented a joke.

Fiona's smirk softens into a gentle smile as she wraps her around Cyrus' back and pulls him into an embrace. "Make no mistake; I am truly happy to see you again – and no worse for wear at that." Her hold tightens, if only slightly, and her voice softens. "I missed you…I was happy to see you felt the same back at the Explorers Guild."

The flock of crows departs from the area, leaving Gwenivere to rise to her feet. Looking to Fiona, she says, "When the war was over, Cyrus discussed his past adventures in this world. The two of you speak as if your previous relationship was a tumultuous one, but my darling spoke quite fondly of you." She crosses her arms, donning a mischievous grin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were an item in denial."

A snort escapes Fae's nostrils as she suddenly snaps back into consciousness. Upon hearing mention of the word "item", she sits herself up from Hayato's shoulder and recites the term's definition. The rest of the party merely stares at her for a moment before Hayato flips to the glossary of the encyclopedia in his hand to find that, "That is correct, Fae; good work."

"Yay~" The lass has about fully woken at this point; "Did I- I didn't fall asleep did I?" Everyone nods, causing the girl to blush and look to the grass below. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!"

Cyrus waves this off, saying, "Pay it no heed, Fae; we all needed a rest." He rises from the tree branch, groaning as he does so. Looking to the sky above, he can see that sun is beginning its descent. "We have a few hours before nightfall." He yawns, suddenly overcome with a desire to take a nap. With a shake of his head, he disperses these thoughts. "If you lot are ready, shall we continue?"

Heeding his call, the party assumes its formation and presses forward. Exiting their rest area immediately presents them with a door leading further north, though they choose to ignore it in favor of pressing south towards the large tree in the center of the floor's interior. A pair consisting of the Air Squirrel and Roper bars the way, but the Seekers are granted a preemptive strike against them, making the engagement trivial. Fae and Hayato work to measure the size of a proper root sample, eventually picking one that is easy to carry without compromising quality.

Fiona is able to charge at a treasure chest unhindered for once, and is rewarded with a bottle of Nectar. She turns around to the others, throwing up a peace sign as a wide smile appears on her face. The bottle is stored with the group's belongings before they set out. The area in which this tree resides is much larger than previously anticipated, boasting an entire additional western half. In addition to another fishing spot, the party also finds a door, one that leads to the same hall as the door the Seekers elected to ignore earlier.

A dead end lies to the west; it contains a small pond as well as a lone backpack. The party gazes upon this abandoned backpack, internally debating whether its contents are worth the risk it poses. Hayato scans the surrounding area, much like Cyrus, and quickly notes the remnants of claw marks. Though there is no blood, fresh or otherwise, he remains dubious. "We should leave this be; this territory might be marked." The others are in agreement, so the party takes its leave.

The winding hall soon splits at a fork. To the west is the destination of interest – the location of the soil samples. Before getting to work, Fae points to a stretch of softer ground. "Um, guys? Am I still tired, or is the ground moving?" True to form, something beneath the dirt is wriggling, though its features are impossible to discern. "W- We should dig somewhere else."

Ultimately, the party elects to dig through the tougher ground in order to avoid unnecessary conflict. A worthy soil sample, as judged by Fae, is quickly chosen and secured, leaving the party's objective complete. Cyrus opens the map to check their progress. There is but one area that remains to be charted, and it lies to the east. "I mean, we might as well, yes?" Fiona is the quickest to agree, something Cyrus finds to be quite curious until his memory is sparked. "Ah, right; you still want whatever is in that eastern treasure chest." She nods twice, emitting some sort of noise that is impossible to discern as she agrees with his assessment.

Just before the party can finish traversing the stretch of distance between the sample site and the door, they are beset by another Roper, one that is accompanied by a large red four-legged beast with three tails and a disturbingly exaggerated assortment of fangs, four of which are oversized and reminiscent of tusks. Its eyes are hollow and black, save for the shimmering aetherial blue pupil resting within each one. Everyone's first instinct is to take a huge step backwards to assess the situation. Gwenivere uses wind magic to pull the Monstrous Codex from the party's essentials, also flipping to the page of this creature. Apparently, it is known as a Wild Dog, despite boasting the frame of a boar and the size of an adolescent bear.

"I suggest we focus on the tree; it could ensnare our limbs and prevent escape." Her claim is shortly proven, for the Roper wraps one of its vines around her legs and lifts her into the air. A short shriek escapes her, though her composure is otherwise maintained. "Unhand me you brute!" Curiously, her skirt seems to be held in place to keep her undergarments from showing, which is presumably the result of her wind magic.

"Lord Hayato, give us an offensive buff; leave the defensive measures to me." The young prince is given no time to inquire as to the specifics of Cyrus' plan, for his comrade charges forward. Summoning his card selection, Hayato instead draws a red card that engulfs his allies in a distorted aura of the matching color. The Roper's previous efforts are met with a reward courtesy of his captive; said reward is a bolstered fireball to the face. Fiona is suddenly in front of the unsuspecting creature, and stabs her rapier into it. Though the pain from the blade is clearly felt, the Roper's insides are further wracked with agony as the rapier's blade is set ablaze through Fiona's use of Chain Flame.

Fiona's blade is released, only for the Roper to find Cyrus' dagger stabbing into its side; Fiona follows up with a second thrust, one that is also shortly thereafter wreathed in fire. The pain is too much, causing the plant monster to succumb to its injuries and release Gwenivere. Cyrus flips backwards to catch his liege on his shoulder and set her down on her feet. "An impressive save as ever, Cyrus; Sir William would be impressed with your agility."

The Wild Dog is all that remains, though it seems content to just bark at the Seekers from a distance. For some strange reason, the party feels more vulnerable because of this creature's efforts. Fae pulls a poisonous smoke bomb from her bag and tosses it at the dog. Though this causes the barking to cease, the creature is now angry enough to attack; to make matters worse, it doesn't seem to be suffering the effects of poison either. "Oh no. Um…wait. We can talk about it?!"

"Prince Hayato, support Fiona and Gwenivere with your bow; ladies, it's weak to ice." He charges forward again, though this time without a weapon. Hayato takes aim with his bow, but the worry on his face is clear to see. His concern is shared by Fae, but Gwenivere and Fiona look far more composed as they prep themselves for the follow-up. The Wild Dog takes the bait, focusing all of its efforts on the unarmed target charging towards it. Cyrus dives towards the right just before the beast's jaws can clamp down on him, which grants an opportunity for him to snap his fingers to warp his dagger back into his grip. He then throws it into the hide of the Wild Dog, which gives Fiona a means of triggering Chain Freeze.

She is unable to react in time to Hayato's arrow, but makes up for her mistake by following up on Gwenivere's use of Icicle Lance. The Wild Dog succumbs to its wounds and slumps to the ground, a heavy thud announcing its demise. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief before sheathing their weapons. Fiona's attention is then brought to a path to the south. "I know the treasure chest is straight ahead, but should we take a look at what's down this way?"

Cyrus rolls his shoulder before replying, "A cursory glance couldn't hurt." The southern path branches in two separate directions; one leads to the water's edge while the other stops at a dead end. The dead end houses a tree of ripe berries. Fae and Cyrus spend a few minutes combing through a reference book to make sure these particular berries are edible; they eventually decide they are worth taking, and carefully store them in a jar. The path ending at the water's edge houses another berry tree, though these are blue in color.

Gwenivere plucks one berry from the tree and rotates it in her grip as she studies it. The cursory glance suggests that the berry is harmless. "It looks like an ordinary blueberry, and yet my subjects informed me otherwise." Fae asks about these "subjects", to which Gwenivere smiles and answers, "Ah, I never told you? Forgive me, sweetie." She sets the berry aside and crouches down to properly address her comrade. "I am what you might consider a shape shifter. In Erdboden, I'm someone who can transform into a spirit animal. Everybody is born with an animal tied to their soul, but not everyone can transform."

"Why is that?"

"Oh, a number of reasons, but the most common is that the person in question just doesn't know the magic behind it, and needs to be taught. We don't have many teachers for this sort of magic, but we've been working on correcting that."

"So what's your spirit animal?"

"I can transform into a raven." To demonstrate this, she attempts to transform, and is surprised to find that not only were her efforts successful, but her transformation retained the seamless speed it does in Erdboden. Gwenivere spends a few moments flying about the area before perching on Hayato's shoulder. She continues to speak in this form, much to the surprise of her comrades, save for Cyrus. "I'm honestly surprised that worked. As you may have assumed, I can talk to other birds thanks to this form. I should mention that I'm free to communicate regardless of my form, however."

Fae walks over and gently picks Gwenivere from Hayato's shoulder. She nuzzles her cheek against the raven's face. "Aw, she's so cute!" She looks to Cyrus, a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Do you think I could turn into something cute? W- What do you think I'd turn into?"

"Probably a unicorn." He takes a moment to think on that before adding, "If you're anything like my adorable sister-in-law, you might actually turn into a dragon."

Fiona dons a shocked expression upon hearing this. "Amy can turn into a dragon?!" Cyrus nods. "So…what do you turn into?"

"A Behemoth."

A silence follows, broken only by the whistling wind. "The Hell is a Behemoth?" He ignores her in favor of leading the trek to the treasure chest. "Don't you walk away from me!" Even as the party extracts the bottle of Soma from the treasure chest, Fiona continues to hound Cyrus for further information. It is only after the party has reentered the hall that a thought occurs to her. She assumes Cyrus has arrived at the same revelation, since he is looking to her with the same expression she can feel forming on her face. "I didn't see a single shortcut during our trek."

"Neither did I." After taking a moment to think, he looks to Fiona and asks, "Iorys utilizes Burst Skills, right?"

"Yes, they are used like the Limit Skills in Armoroad; you don't need to set them before you depart for the Labyrinth, but you will need multiple people to execute them. What's your plan?"

Rather than explain, he draws his knife and turns to the empty path ahead of his Guild. Cyrus, Fiona, and Fae are bathed in a white glow before said glow transfers to the blade of Cyrus' knife. He then slashes at the empty space, creating a dimensional rift where his knife cut the air. He motions for his comrades to step into the portal; Gwenivere is the first to heed this, with Fae and the others following shortly thereafter. Upon stepping through the rift himself, Cyrus disperses the portal and returns his knife to its sheath. The party is now located at the entrance of the first floor, just in front of the staircase.

Of the Guild members, Hayato is the most confused. He looks around in an effort to make sense of what just transpired, even going so far as to take momentary possession of the map to study Cyrus' notes; he finds nothing related to teleportation. He furls the parchment, returning it to the bag holding the Guild's essentials. He concedes his inability to rationalize this, and requests an explanation. Cyrus heeds this request, beginning his explanation as the Guild makes its way back to Iorys.

"I made use of one of our universal Union Skills – Full Retreat. My dark magic works on a rather small scale in this world, so I can't warp a group of people the way I could in Erdboden. I didn't find a working means to warp my weapons around until Tharsis, so even that maneuver we pulled against the Wild Dog is fairly recent."

Hayato is busy taking notes of Cyrus explanation as he walks. Curiously, he is suddenly wearing a pair of oval-frame glasses, but no one comments on this. "So the Union Skill granted you a momentary boost in magical prowess."

"It's also possible that the Union Skills blend the laws of our worlds together, granting me temporary full control of my Erdboden magic. The Origin Rune had a similar effect during my time in Tharsis."

The two continue bouncing theories off of each other until the party reaches the Council Hall. They have caught Prince Ramus at a convenient time, despite the hour nearing 5PM. "Ah, I see you have all returned; Seekers, correct? Do you perhaps have an inquiry?" Upon seeing Fae hold up the jar containing the soil sample, as well as Fiona carrying the root sample, he has to make an effort to hide his surprise. "I am most impressed; most Guilds do not achieve such results so quickly; the sun has barely begun its descent, and I am told you five started a bit late."

Fiona raises an eyebrow to this. "News really does travel faster than we do."

"May I see your map of the first floor?" Cyrus nods to this and presents the prince with the Seekers' cartography efforts. "Such detail." He scans the map further, his eye caught by Cyrus' meticulous note-taking. "It would appear that you have marked new information not available to our current atlas."

"Should it assist you, your highness, we would not mind lending this map to the Council so that you can update."

"You speak truly? Most fortuitous; the endeavor will not take long, I assure you. You can expect this map to be delivered to Jenetta's Inn." He hands the Seekers a monetary reward before summoning a few guards to transport the map and samples to their respective areas. "With your Guild now officially recognized, I suggest you pay the marketplace another visit; an important item awaits you there. Until next time, Seekers; I look forward to working with you once again." The party bids the prince farewell and takes its leave. "The Seekers…the name is certainly familiar; perhaps I shall dabble in research."

Fiona notices that the group is on an unfamiliar path. "Are we not heading to the marketplace?"

"Not yet, Fiona. If there's one thing I've learned in my time as an Explorer, it's that you want to check with the local pub after clearing your initiation mission. Too often have we sold off materials needed for a request mere moments prior to accepting the request."

"I…can't even deny that."

The party steps into a bar whose sign identifies the establishment as the Twilight Tavern. The smell of freshly cooked steak wafts past the nostrils of each member, shortly followed by their growling stomachs. A tall Celestrian woman approaches the group, sporting an affable expression on her face. Like Jilian, this woman's skin is gray and her hair is a silky shade of white. Her eyes, however, are red, with a pair of oval-framed glasses resting just beneath them; in addition, her hair is worn in a raised ponytail, rather than straight.

Her accessories are different in turn, with no earrings adorning her. Instead, she wears a gold diadem, complementing the silver and gold color scheme of her scant attire. Her dress reveals much of her skin, thanks in no small part to its open diamond pattern. A brassiere keeps her ample bosom held up and secure, though it leaves the entirety of her back exposed. Detachable sleeves adorn her arms, with the ensemble being finished by a pair of heels.

"Welcome! You all have a look of explorers about you. I heard about a new group that was expected to finish its initiation mission soon, so I figured that must be you. My name's Mirina; I welcome you once again to my tavern." Everyone's stomachs growl once again, to which she giggles. "Before we get down to business, I assume you all must be famished, right?"

Fiona and Gwenivere are quick to respond, "Boobil- er, verily!" They then clear their throats, trying to avoid eye contact after their glaring blunder. Mirina has a short laugh at their expense before escorting the group to an open table. Having sat down, Cyrus takes a good look around the establishment. The varnished wood and dim lighting reminds him of the Golden Deer Pub from Etria, which he comments on.

"Oh, so you've been to Etria? I've had a few guests compare my establishment to the Pub, but I've never traveled there myself." The entire group orders the steak, no doubt enticed by the aroma that surprised them when they stepped in. "Very well, an order of seared boar steak for five; I'll return with your food shortly." She then disappears, leaving the Seekers to themselves.

A lengthy sigh escapes Cyrus before he runs a hand through his hair. "A pretty eventful first foray. I imagine we'll need to handle some requests before ascending to the second floor. Does anyone need an extended break?" Silence. "No need to be shy; there is no shame in knowing your limits." He yawns, taking care to cover his mouth. "Personally, I'm more winded than I thought I'd be; I wouldn't mind a rest at the inn before setting back out."

Fae shifts in place, directing her eyes at the barren table. "After we eat, I think I'm going to need a nap. I- I know I just had one bu-"

"It's perfectly fine, sweetie; we'll all take a break." True to her word, Mirina returns with exceptional speed, holding a large platter above her head. "That…was she anticipating us specifically? Why, it's almost as if she predicted this chain of events." She is given no further time to ponder, for her food has arrived. "There is no time to tarry; food exists to be consumed, and this meal certainly looks delectable."

Each plate houses a hefty cut of seared steak procured from a creature that rests on the upper floors of the First Stratum; a slice of butter rests atop each individual cut, running off the top and adding subtle flavor to the other components of the dish. One such component is a serving of green peas garnished with chopped onions. Two biscuits rest off to the side, each one absorbing just a bit of the butter running over the steak. Drinks have also been provided, with most of the party having ordered something distinct. Cyrus has a lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage; Fiona has a glass of red wine; Gwenivere has a blend of Iorys-style tea; Fae has an exceptionally tall glass of orange juice; and Hayato…ordered water. Just as the case was with Jenetta's meal, the party gives thanks akin to a cheer before devouring their meal.

Over the course of the dining, Fae expresses reluctance in eating the peas. Gwenivere takes note of this and admonishes the girl, to which Fae protests. "But Gwen," she begins in a whiny voice, "they don't taste good…" Gwenivere continues to lecture the child, but comes to no avail. Cyrus motions to aid her by offering a suggestion; he posits that the peas will taste better when paired with the steak directly. Fae, though frowning at the idea of being tricked, goes along with the idea, downing both a spoonful of peas as well as a cut of her steak in tandem. Upon swallowing her food, she finds herself surprised; "The peas…didn't taste all that bad that time." She smiles, going for another spoonful. "The steak tasted better too." She giggles to herself before consuming the remainder of her meal.

With their stomachs satisfied, the Seekers are now properly ready to accept requests from this establishment. Mirina approaches their table again, but this time with a clipboard in tow. One look at the empty glasses and completely cleaned plates leads her to comment, "I'd ask if you all enjoyed the meal, but…I think the answer is obvious. I'm quite thrilled to see you enjoyed my cooking."

Cyrus and Hayato wipe their mouths in unison, soon saying, "My compliments to our lovely chef."

"I'm charmed. Now then, since your Guild is officially recognized, you can handle requests put up by patrons. These quests range from a variety of tasks; you have the easy fetch quests, but also monster-slaying tasks. I've even had a few people step in to put up requests concerning missing pets and cats stuck in trees." She hands the clipboard to Cyrus as she says, "Here's what's available at the moment. As you ascend, I'll have more work for your group."

Looking over the list with Fiona at his side, Cyrus simply shrugs and hands the clipboard back to Mirina; "We'll accept all of them. We actually have two of them completed as of this moment." The proprietress raises an eyebrow to this, only to be met with a Cracked Mudstone as well as three units of Hard Cupules – the bowl-shaped outer caps procured from fallen Rabid Acorns. He rises from his seat and hands Mirina the sum of ental for the Guild's meal. "We must next take to fishing, but we'll rest at the inn before setting out. I can, however, say that you can expect our return before too long."

"You know, there's no rush; the quests aren't going anywhere." Cyrus comments that this is his Guild progressing at a somewhat slower pace than usual, to which Mirina chuckles. "Wait, you're being serious?" Cyrus' gentle expression remains. "Um, wow. That's an impressive work ethic, but I still think you should take it easy."

"We shall do just so, matron." She giggles at the nickname, though it is out of reflex rather than finding it humorous. "I do hope that you're not offended; it struck me as an appropriate title for a bar proprietress."

"The title is fine." She hands the Guild their rewards – two Analysis Scopes, two bottles of Therica A, and two bottles of Therica B. Cyrus hands the medicine bottles over to Fae for safe-keeping while securing the scopes with the rest of their belongings. "What's the name of your Guild?" She is provided the name of the Seekers; "I see. I look forward to working with you Seekers in the future. Do take care out there." They bid the tavern farewell and return to Jenetta's Inn instead of paying the marketplace a visit.

"Welcome home~ How was your first trip to the Tutelary Forest?" Seeing Fae resting on Cyrus' back, already sound asleep, Jenetta can only giggle. "I guess it was pretty tiring, huh? You all look well, which is good news for me. I have seen many explorers return here in far worse states than when they left; you get used to it, but it's never pleasant."

Cyrus gives a solemn nod to this. "It reminds me of how so many Guilds would retire from Etria's Labyrinth as early as the Third Stratum. By the end of it all, there were only really two Guilds seriously tackling the threat of the Sixth Stratum – Hilda's Guild, and my own, the first Branch of Seekers. I wonder how they're doing these days."

"I can trust your Guild to always return safely, so I hope you'll always trust me to welcome you home with a cheerful greeting and a comfy bed…oh, and a hot meal; can't forget about that." The party thanks her for the reassuring words, as well as the vote of confidence. "Now then, allow me to show you to your room~"


	4. Conflict's Chime

**Chapter 4: Conflict's Chime**

8PM draws near as the Seekers' break continues. Everyone is sleeping at present, their exhaustion – or perhaps Mirina's wonderful cooking – having caught up with them. Fiona gently cradles Hayato in her arms, occasionally stroking his hair and commenting on how he's apparently a "good kitty." In his own sleep-addled mind, Hayato refutes her statements in short bursts and broken sentences, though it is clear that he sees himself as "a proud warrior", rather than "a mere feline". In spite of this disagreement, the two make no motion to separate, instead continuing their peaceful slumber.

The remaining three are sharing a bed in turn, with Cyrus wedged between both Gwenivere and Fae. The two rest their heads on either side of his chest, using their comrade as a pillow; they are presumably comfortable, if their smiling faces are any indication. Cyrus is the first to awaken, looking to either side of himself to find that the rest of his team is still asleep. ' _The itis strikes again; the matron's cooking really hit the spot._ ' He makes an effort to sit up, managing to slip from Gwenivere's grasp as he is now accustomed to doing. Fae, however, is more persistent, and clings to his form even during her slumber. He looks to the lass, who clings to him as if she were a koala bear, and chuckles. ' _Wait, how am I supposed to remove her?_ '

He is given no time to ponder, for he suddenly feels a pair of arms wrapping around him from behind his back. Gwenivere rests her chin on his free shoulder and nuzzles her cheek against his. "Darling, are you not aware of how cold it is outside? Stay in bed." Her eyes have yet to open, so Cyrus can't help but wonder if she's still sleeping. She giggles to herself as she makes an effort to pull him back down. "'Tis a shame the children are present; I feel a mood coming on."

"Perhaps another time."

"Hm…yes, that…would be nice." She returns to her slumber, releasing her husband from her grip as she lays her head down onto a pillow instead. She then reaches out to wrap her arms around something, her face contorting into an expression of displeasure upon coming into contact with thin air. Cyrus contemplates extricating himself from the bed to get a head start on the party's preparations, but his resolve crumbles once Gwenivere's saddened voice rings out, barely a whisper as she calls out to him, "Cyrus? Please don't go…" He sighs in defeat, not even putting up a struggle as he lies back down. Gwenivere's arms take hold of him and pull him closer, resting his head on her chest. Her expression brightens at this as she gives a content sigh. "There…in my arms…right where you belong."

' _I know it's my duty to pamper you, but I really do spoil you, my liege._ ' Another 30 minutes pass before the Guild properly rises from its slumber. Though it is late, Fiona figures they still have time to at least procure one fish; she knows that Cyrus would endeavor in the task regardless, considering he gave Mirina his word. They return to the first floor of the Labyrinth, though their fishing gear is incredibly light. Cyrus preps his fishing rod before taking a seat on a nearby rock. The moon's reflection upon the water's surface makes for a calming sight, as does the cool hue its light lends to the swaying grass.

Hayato takes a seat beside Cyrus, scanning the water's surface for any trace of disturbance. The only disturbance of note is brought upon by Cyrus himself as he casts his line; his chosen lure causes a barely audible plopping sound as it sinks into the stream. He adjusts himself in an attempt to become more comfortable; a yawn escapes him while he waits. "Do you think you'll get a bite?"

"I'm certainly hoping for one, yes; the waters are calm, but I don't think we'll have t-" a tug at the line cuts his sentence short and calls for his immediate attention. His catch puts up a struggle, but does not appear to be terribly large. After a minute of shifting the balance in his favor, Cyrus gives one last pull, wrenching his catch from the waters. He has caught a bass of some kind, roughly a foot in length. Looking back to his comrades, he adorns his face with a wide grin as he asks, "Not bad for a guy with only one arm, right?" He is answered with silence until Fae and Hayato offer a round of applause. ' _Tough crowd._ '

He steps down from the rock and stores the bass away. Letting out a sigh of relief, he then directs the Seekers back to the Twilight Tavern to turn in this request. Their reward – five units of fish. With no immediate use for these, they offer the fish to Jenetta; she's quite happy to take this batch off the Seekers' hands, for "I've been in the mood for fish lately. Thanks for saving me the trouble of catching them~" The party simply offers a salute before silently retiring to their beds for the night. Jenetta watches their tired march, not really certain on where their previous energy went. "Maybe the quest was tougher than they thought it would be? Huh…"

The following morning, after consuming another hearty breakfast prepared by Jenetta, the Seekers return to the Labyrinth, now armed with an immediate escape item known as the Ariadne Thread. Despite the Guild's lack of funds, Cyrus insisted on having two at all times; Fiona dedicates a moment to teasing her comrade for his paranoia, but leaves the subject at peace soon enough. The plan was to ascend to the second floor, but the group's advance is halted by the sight of the guardsman from yesterday. The man looks distraught as he scans the area; he spots the Seekers during this interval, and waves them over.

"We meet again Seekers; might I trouble you for a moment?" Upon hearing their affirmation, he follows, "Three members of my flock have wandered off somewhere on this floor. We were just about to head back to the city, but I can't leave without them."

Fae's expression suggests she's eager to assist this man, for she quickly raises a hand and declares, "We'll find them for you!" She demonstrates her resolve by pointing to the distance, where one chicken can be seen pecking at feed by the riverside. She grabs hold of Cyrus' hand and pulls him along, allowing no room for protest. "Play decoy, Cyrus." She then steps into a bush, neglecting to give her comrade further instruction. He calls out to the chicken in an effort to draw it closer to his position. The chicken remains where it stands, but this is of no matter, for Fae has somehow ended up behind the chicken. She gently grabs hold of the target and pulls it closer. "Yay~ I caught it!"

The chicken gives a confused-sounding cluck, completely unaware of what's going on. Upon being set back onto the ground with the rest of its flock, the chicken approaches the guardsman, opting to take a seat at his feet. "That was…impressive, young lady." Fae blushes at the praise and asks how many chickens remain. "Only two are left; I have to stay here with the flock, so I'm counting on you."

Fae grabs hold of Gwenivere's hand this time, pulling her westward towards the Labyrinth's entrance. "Fae, sweetie; where are we going?"

"There's another feeding ground near that fishing spot." Hayato recalls that there is one last feeding ground to the north, and suggests that the rest of the party check there. While the remaining trio takes care of that, Fae leads Gwenivere to their intended destination. There are no bushes to hide in this time, so Fae looks up to Gwenivere and says, "Alright, now you have to turn into a bird and talk to it." Gwenivere adopts a look of confusion upon her countenance; she looks to the wandering chicken, then to Fae, and then back to the chicken.

She pats her comrade on the head and chuckles. "Very well." She then transforms into a raven before walking over to the chicken's location. "Pardon me, but might you be a member of the guardsman's flock?"

The chicken pecks at the ground to procure more food before giving Gwenivere her attention. She takes a step forward and confirms her standing. "That's right; they're not in trouble, right?" She sighs. "What would those feather-brains do without me? All that discipline is lost to the hay whenever I take a break." She takes a moment to size up Gwenivere; "Hm, you look like a bird with status; you understand my struggle, yes?"

"To an extent. My people are quite together at present, but I suppose one could credit that to my aunt's skills as leader. When I ascend to her rank, I hope to prove just as capable." A haughty huff escapes her as she directs her beak towards the sky above. "Of course, being on par will not be satisfactory for long; I intend to surpass her in all aspects."

"Ah, if only my flock could be more like you. Oh well, I'll just have to work harder." She points a wing at Fae, who is currently sitting on the grass as a group of butterflies flit around her. "Do you think that child will carry me back?"

"I believe she's hoping you will let her."

The three return to the guardsman, who expresses joy at having his flock's leader returned to him. She clucks at him, despite knowing that he won't understand her words. "My work is never done; I do not mean to make you worry."

"Oh don't worry about it; we all need a break sometimes, right?" The chicken stares at him for a moment, before looking to Gwenivere, who likewise shares in her confusion. Upon being asked by Fae if the guardsman can talk to animals, he shakes his head and smiles. "After spending so much time together, you kind of get a feel for what everyone's saying."

The remaining trio returns, with the final chicken perched on Fiona's shoulder. She looks to the guardsman before gently scratching the chicken's neck. "I know this is sudden, but do you think we could keep this one? She's such a sweetheart."

After getting a good look at the chicken in question, the guardsman's face is suddenly adorned with a sad smile. "Ah, she's always been a hard worker." He picks up the flock's leader, cradling her before continuing, "I think she wants to be a leader, just like the hen here. I…" he lingers, looking down to the chicken in his arms for some advice. She looks up to him and clucks but once. "Yeah, I think she's ready too." He looks to Fiona and says, "Please take good care of her."

The chicken spends a moment bidding the rest of her flock farewell before departing from the Labyrinth with the Seekers. They return to Jenetta's Inn, where the owner in question appears to be indulging in a moment of downtime. The remaining fourth of what the party assumes was once a whole cake sits upon a plate before Jenetta. She jabs her fork into the final slice, lifting it before her with a gleeful smile upon her countenance. She pats her stomach once the slice is consumed, letting out a content sigh. "What confectionery bliss." Looking to the side, she takes notice of the Seekers. "Why hello, everyone~ You're back early."

Fiona steps forward, the group's new charge perched on her shoulder still. "I know this is out of the blue, but do you think this little one can stay at the inn with us?"

Jenetta brings her hands together as another smile forms on her lips. "Oh, certainly! She looks like a stern hen, too." She takes the chicken into her arms, being met with no resistance. "How about it? Do you wanna help me look after the other chickens? They could use a leader."

"I was born for this."

"Then we're in agreement." She looks to the Seekers and follows, "As thanks, I'll share the egg yield with you; I'm sure you'll find a use for them."

The Seekers offer their gratitude for this development, bidding both Jenetta and their new mother hen farewell soon after. The party finally ascends to the second floor; the initial area beyond the staircase is a tad small when compared to the spacious clearings of the first floor, but the Seekers find it no less peaceful. The western path leads to an atrium housing a door; to the east is a much larger clearing that boasts two exit points – this eastern path is soon selected as the Seekers route.

Cyrus holds up a hand, signaling for the others to cease their advance. A concerned expression commands his countenance, though none of his comrades can guess as to why. A moment of silence passes before Hayato also tenses up. He readies his bow, as well as his card selection. "Be on your guard, everyone; I sense a malefic aura drawing near." A figure steps into view, revealing itself to be a young girl rather than a denizen of the Labyrinth. Hayato's concerned expression only deepens when he realizes the aura he's sensing is emanating from this very girl. He takes a step back, unsure of what action to take.

A cheery voice rings through the deafening silence; "Hey there!" The young lady's cheerful demeanor is evident in her shimmering golden eyes, and is further accentuated by her floral pink hair, which is fashioned in the same manner as Fiona's. She is adorned with a black robe whose seams are lined pink, though there is not much else to speak of in terms of attire save for the chains presumably holding the ensemble in place. Her skin is an icy shade of blue, and her neck sports curious markings akin to those seen on victims of injury who required stitches.

When Cyrus' stance eases into something more casual, his allies follow suit. "Well met, young lady; I'm Cyrus Coelistis, and this," he says as he motions to the party behind him, "is the Seekers Guild."

"My name's Lili; it's nice to meet you guys." She looks around, though the Seekers are unsure of what she hopes to find. Her attention eventually falls back on Cyrus, though her cheery expression has shifted to instead show concern. "Cyrus, right? You…haven't come into contact with a curse recently, have you?"

"I haven't, no. Why do you ask?"

"I came this way because I sensed incredible darkness nearby." The statement sends a chill down Hayato's spine. "I was afraid a careless explorer left a wraith unattended, but you seem to be the actual source." Seeing Cyrus' surprised expression, she continues, "Are you sure you're not cursed? I can help get rid of it."

"The darkness you sense…naturally flows into me. I was born with the innate ability to absorb the element, but the effect is usually subtle enough to go unnoticed by others."

Lili's face adopts an inquisitive countenance. She steps a bit closer, moving to and fro as she attempts to study Cyrus. "You don't look Celestrian, and I've never heard of an Earthlain with such raw magic potential. Where are you from?"

"I come from a world separate from your own. Across the dimensions, I hail from a beauteous realm called Erdboden." Her eyes light up at this. "You've…heard of the place?"

"Your research contributions on the Origin Rune are in some of the textbooks I've studied. Your name is well-known among we Celestrians; I was expecting someone…older…with gray hair and an awesome beard."

"I can only hope that I will look so magnificent in my senior years." He glances back to see Hayato sending a hand signal. ' _Oh, I almost forgot._ ' Turning back to Lili, he says, "Right, I meant to express a concern to you in turn." Lili looks at him expectantly, awaiting his question. "You're not cursed yourself, are you? I can sense an overwhelming aura of darkness emanating from you as we speak." Jabbing a thumb towards Hayato's direction, he adds, "Our Shaman here is quite perturbed."

"You…can sense it, too?" He nods. "I guess it's natural for one so attuned to the element, but your Shaman must be really talented. I'm a Necromancer, so I'm often covered in the blanket of darkness." The remainder of the Seekers goes wide-eyed at this, save for Fae. "What's wrong?"

Gwenivere steps forward, taking her place at Cyrus' side. "A Necromancer? At your age? I had already found it surprising that such a Class is a common profession in this world, but for one so young to have assumed the role? Why, in Erdboden, such a thing is unheard of."

"My people have spent countless eons perfecting our arcane craft. The darkness can be terrifying, but it exists to be wielded for the benefit of progress – much like anything else."

"Ah, that would explain it," Cyrus says with a nod. "In Erdboden, the power granted to one by the darkness comes at a steep price; it is not just something anyone can wield, and its price often outweighs the benefits."

"That is unfortunate; just one look at your eyes tells me a lot about how much you've suffered." He falls silent at this, unable to give even a semblance of a retort. "I can see you're all pretty busy, so I think I should be heading back now." As she walks away, she gives a parting statement; "Take care!"

The Seekers decide to leave the conversation where it ended in order to resume their trek. A southern path forks in two separate directions; knowing the western path will lead to a dead-end Fiona suggests her party traverse it. At this dead end is a gathering spot where wheat native to Yggdrasil can be procured. After securing some samples, the party takes the other path, which ends at the mouth of a stream. Here, a guardsman stands with his weapon sheathed. When the Seekers draw near, they learn that this guard has just snared a large pink boar in a trap.

The boar is infuriated, with its struggle for freedom made all the more apparent by the desperation in its eyes. Its efforts prove to be fruitful, for the trap's grasp is broken, giving the creature its chance to exact vengeance upon its captor. The party rushes to the guard's defense, though Cyrus is wounded in the process. The beast breathes its last upon having an open wound struck by one of Gwenivere's fireballs, and hits the forest ground with a soft thud. Fae rushes over to Cyrus, breathing a sigh of relief when she sees he's still conscious. She removes some herbs and tools from her bag and sets to work while the others address the guard.

For their efforts, the party is rewarded with a share of the meat carved from the boar; they see the guard off as he departs from the Labyrinth. Before leaving, Cyrus and Gwenivere take a moment to pray for the fallen boar, also giving thanks for its sacrifice. As they make their way back to where they met Lili, Hayato asks, "Was that an Erdboden custom?"

Gwenivere replies, "In the Land of Mages there is a region known as the Province of Nature. In this province, we are all taught the value of wildlife, and how we must always show gratitude for the things we take."

Picking up her thread, Cyrus continues, "Wanton slaughter is strictly forbidden; we are to take only as we need, never in excess."

Fiona glances at him as she says, "I can only imagine how such a province handles poachers."

Cyrus and Gwenivere answer in unison; "Capital Punishment."

Fae reels back at this. "Whoa, "Punishment" with a capital 'P'? That's how you know it's bad."

The others can't help but snicker at this, causing Fae to giggle in turn despite not knowing why her statement was so amusing. The party passes beneath another archway, though they have a few extra options compared to the first floor. Three paths lie before them – one to the west; one to the north; and the last to the east. Stretches of water are interspersed throughout the forest ground, suggesting that, regardless of the path chosen, the party will have to backtrack to this very hall if they wish to access the others.

Gwenivere suggests the eastern path be the first they traverse. Having studied the map's current dimensions, she concludes, "We're most likely to run into a dead end if we go this way; there could be something there as well." The idea is as sound as any, so the party heeds it. A short walk through the greenery leads the party to a clearing where someone can be seen sitting near the water's edge, fishing rod in hand. "Is that the Guildmaster?"

The group approaches the fisherman, who is indeed Guildmaster Egar. He extends a greeting to the explorers, though his focus remains on his casting. "It is good to see a Guild with such drive. I have heard your efforts have proved useful to the council." Fae takes a seat beside him, her own gaze focused on the water ahead as she asks Egar about his fondness for fishing. "A quaint little hobby; it helps keep my mind calm, and passes the time well enough."

"Is there anything you're hoping to catch?"

"Not especially on this day; to be honest, my true craving lies with a Moon Apple."

"Aw…I don't think we have any of those." Fae's expression then brightens. "Ooh, I know; if we find some, we'll share with you!"

"That is kind of you, child; trust that you and your friends will be properly rewarded." Fae nods to this and rises to her feet to usher the rest of her Guild back to the task at hand. Though Fiona and Cyrus protest, wishing to linger a bit longer, Fae grants no quarter. Egar chuckles at this as their voices fade into the distance. ' _Hm, that reminds me. I should purchase a gift for my own daughter…_ '

Back at the branching atrium, the party elects to head north. The path ahead is remarkably cramped, with pools of water spread about a considerable distance. Two symmetrical ponds serve as a gateway of sorts to a treasure chest containing a bottle of Medica II, which Hayato hands to Fae for safe-keeping. As the party turns around, they are beset by a pair of enemies. One is of the Air Squirrel species; the other is a large bat with the ability to wield ice.

Drawing his dagger, Cyrus comments, "The bat is weak to volt and stabbing attacks, much like the squirrel." He lowers his stance, much like a cat preparing to pounce on its prey; "Let's get to it." He charges ahead, thrusting his blade into the membrane of the bat's right wing; as he removes it and jumps out of the way, Fiona follows up with a lightning-imbued thrust of her rapier. She is already cloaked in the distorted red aura granted by Hayato's Ruinous Prayer. A bolt of lightning strikes both the bat and the squirrel, though neither succumbs from the impact. The bat is given no time to recover as Fiona ends its life with another electrified thrust, this time piercing through its mouth.

The Air Squirrel focuses its attention on the wrong selection of people, and is rewarded with a smoke bomb that irritates its eyes. Unable to see, it charges at random in hopes of striking at something; its attack is seemingly aimed at Cyrus, who steps to the side in order to get a clear stab at the creature's heart. With the final enemy having been vanquished, the Seekers lay claim to their combat spoils. On the way back, the group stumbles across a patch of forest berries. As they pick from the selection, Fiona takes note of the cracked acorns lying about.

"Hey guys…don't these acorns seem a bit big?" A closer inspection reveals them to be the remains of multiple Rabid Acorns, a notion that sends a chilling wind through the area. After silent deliberation, the Seekers deem it best to depart with what they have, lest the berry patch convert into an undesirable battleground. "This forest war is a tad more serious than I gave it credit for."

"These sorts of territorial disputes are far more common than you might think, Dame Fiona; as members of a safer civilization, we're lucky to be largely exempt from the matter." She sighs to herself, looking to the treetops as she walks with her team. "I suppose nature works the same way no matter what world you live in." The party returns to the atrium to finally traverse the final path available to them. Doing so, they are quickly met with a malodorous stench. Covering her nose and mouth with a hand, Gwenivere recoils, utterly disgusted. "Goodness, what in the world happened here?"

Fae and Cyrus step ahead of the group to find a gathering spot just around a corner. Within the vegetation is an assortment of items that could prove useful. The former calls for Hayato to assist her, to which he shrugs before heeding the request. She pulls a root from the ground, rotating it between her thumb and index finger to study it. "This is…Brown Tuber."

Continuing his own search, Hayato says, "That one is known for its analeptic properties, right? That'll probably sell for decent change." He then picks up a hive-shaped fruit. Holding it up to the sun, its colors become more vivid. "I found a Lotus Fruit; I was hoping for some kind of food ingredient, but more medicine couldn't hurt."

Cyrus, in his effort to assist the Brounis of the group, discovers the source of the terrible stench. He lifts a head of ripe cabbage, red in color. Fiona groans at this, knowing the plant species. "No…it's Skunk Cabbage; ugh, just kill me now." Cyrus removes a cloth from the party's belongings and wraps it around the cabbage; the smell decreases in its intensity, practically fading entirely. "Well I'll be…when did you get that cloth?"

"I brought it with me from Erdboden." He secures the cabbage with the group's belongings, albeit separated so that its smell doesn't attach to anything else. "Yikes. When the time comes for us to perform gathering runs for additional funds, we're definitely going to need a separate means of storing these."

The group departs from this site to proceed further west. Lili is here, which strikes the party as odd. "Hello again, Seekers." She steps up to them and presents an item to Fiona. Though the Fencer accepts the gift, her confused expression silently presents the "why" its owner cannot put forth on her own. The gift is a conical canine, a sample of one of the large fangs that extends from the maw of a Wild Dog. "Something tells me you're going to need that soon." She giggles to herself, though for reasons known only to her. "Oh, have you seen the Guildmaster around here?"

Fae nods, grabbing the map from Cyrus. She unfurls it for Lili, pointing to the fishing spot in C7. "He should still be here; we're gonna get a Moon Apple for him."

"I'll be sure to let him know you're close; thanks."

She then departs. Gwenivere searches the immediate area, looking for an entryway that Lili could have used to end up so far ahead of them. She finds one of the tiny statues from before. Crouching to get a better look at it, she pokes a finger at its stomach, commenting on how adorable it is. To her surprise, the statue reacts, moving itself to the side, along with some trees. A path forward is thus revealed, allowing quick access to the floor's entrance according to the map. "Most fortuitous."

Stepping through this newfound shortcut, Cyrus is given a chance to map out the western path his party neglected to traverse earlier. They travel through the door that they once noted, only to be accosted by the stench of more units of Skunk Cabbage. Fiona throws her arms into the air, declaring that she'll just wait in the adjacent atrium, and the others should call for her if she's needed. Before closing the door, she looks back and adds, "Please don't get into a situation where I'll be needed. Thanks."

Having procured a sizable haul, Cyrus deems it best if the party heads back to the city to sell these materials. Of course, they stop by the Twilight Tavern first, which proves to be the smarter move once again, for Mirina has work available. One such job comes from the city apothecary, which is in need of Skunk Cabbage. Fiona and Gwenivere offer thanks to whatever deities may be listening for the fact that they won't have to gather anymore of this plant for the time being. The second request comes from Syrik, though the details were not left with Mirina. The Seekers shrug at this before bidding the proprietress farewell.

Syrik is quite happy to see the group, though it is arguable that his smile is truly directed at the hefty bags slung over their shoulders. "Welcome back, Seekers. You're back a bit earlier than I expected."

Setting a bag down, Fiona says, "Our inventory filled up pretty quickly this time. We took your request, by the way; what's the job?"

"You're the ones handling it? That's pretty convenient; now I don't need to worry about the materials being shoddy. Anyway, I'm working on a new weapon, and need two Conical Canines to make it." The party exchanges glances with one another. "Something wrong?" He is then presented with the two items in question. "Well hot damn; you guys work fast! I left the reward with Mirina already, so be sure to pick it up." He lets out a whistle, likely in response to ascertaining the quality of the base materials. "Yeah, these will work quite nicely. I'll be sure to get the other materials to their proper craftsmen as well, so expect a new medicinal stock soon."

The group bids farewell, and as they make their way back to the tavern, they converse among each other, wondering how Lili's prediction could have been true. Their reward for completing Syrik's request is a gun known as the Madfa. The weapon, as a result of the conical canines used in its craft, is capable of firing larger rounds of ammunition for increased damage; it is also somehow capable of increasing the wielder's maximum stamina threshold, but how this is possible is seemingly unrelated to the canines.

Returning to the second floor of the Tutelary Forest, the Seekers make use of their new shortcut to return to the hall connecting to the gathering area. To the north is a narrow pathway – with a pond to either side – that leads to a door. The party steps through this door and is immediately met with a surprise. A giant blue caterpillar, one that towers above each member of the party with just half of its total length, patrols a dedicated stretch of land. Black horns extend from its head, forming a crescent shape. Four eyes dot its face in an intimidating pattern, complemented by a yellow facial pattern in the center. Its tail end sports hook-like appendages, black in color, much akin to the creature's horns and tusk-like protrusions.

The creature makes no effort to attack the party, nor does it give chase; it is content to pace back and forth on this strip of land, granting the Seekers passage during choice intervals. The area in which this caterpillar dwells is quite large, housing a small lake and several other smaller ponds that have limited the areas upon which visitors may walk. The room quickly proves to be larger than once assumed, for there is a western section to traverse that houses a second caterpillar. The traversable paths connected to this creature's patrol route require more patience, due to being incredibly narrow and having a strict timing window.

As she waits, Fae rests her head on Gwenivere's side. The latter deems this to be unsatisfactory for the child, and instead lets Fae rest her head on her lap. "Hey, Gwen? Do you think these caterpillars will turn into pretty butterflies?"

"I would hope so, sweetie. I would be…disturbed if these creatures turned into moths instead." She can see Cyrus tense up at the mention of the word, to which she asks, "Are you catching a fever, love? Perhaps we should take a break?"

"No, that's…not necessary. I just recalled a bad memory, one from my time in Tharsis with William." He then mumbles something about an accursed egg, as well as a Moth Lord. Gwenivere stares at him for a moment before deciding that it would be best if she didn't pry further.

Having taken a seat on a nearby rock, Fiona takes to observing the caterpillar. "Cyrus, what do you suppose this FOE's item drops would turn into?"

He takes a seat beside her, holding his chin in his hand as he adopts a contemplative expression. "I could see the horns turning into a formidable scythe blade, but the silk this creature produces could make for durable bowstring as well."

"I was leaning towards the bow idea, personally. I'm willing to bet that, whatever it yields, it'll be the best weapon of its type for this Stratum. It'd be nice to get a head start on acquiring those." She takes a moment to stretch, letting out a yawn before clapping her hands to her cheeks. "We should work on upgrading our armor soon, too. I've heard that the monsters of this Labyrinth hit much harder than those from the Yggdrasil trees we've traversed."

Cyrus nods to this, tilting his head as his mind wanders to the monetary front. "I overheard explorers in the marketplace discuss the same. We used to have the luxury of ignoring armor for awhile; I wonder what makes these monsters different." A rustling sounds from the thicket, catching his attention. "Weapons ready, Seekers." A Wild Dog emerges, flanked by a bipedal mushroom that is no less than 5-feet tall and sports a pair of arms. "Um…the Hell is that?" He shakes his head, clearing his mind before gathering data on the creature with his Runic Eye. "It's weak to fire. Keep your distance and refrain from physical contact; I have no idea what its spores might do. Fae, try hitting it with Poison."

Hayato pulls a red card from his selection to imbue his allies with the effects of the Ruinous Prayer once more. He then readies his bow, prepared to assist Fiona's Chain attacks. "That mushroom is creeping me out." Paying the Shaman no heed, the mushroom continues to wiggle in place, its movements hypnotic – almost like a lava lamp. This disturbs Hayato to his very core. "Ugh, cease your villainy, vile beast!"

The focus of the initial offense lies with the Wild Dog, resulting in the creature succumbing to its wounds before it can follow through with its barking threats. Fae's poisonous bomb failed to afflict the Wild Dog, but it was ultimately of no consequence. The mushroom, which is referred to as a Myconid by the Monstrous Codex, is afflicted with poison, but remains standing tall. In retaliation, it hurls a puff of its spore at Cyrus, who unfortunately inhales a significant amount of it up his nose. His body seizes up almost immediately before he hits the ground on his side. He tries to speak, only for his mouth to remain still. ' _Bugger me, I can't move!_ '

The Myconid motions to advance upon Cyrus' person. It raises an arm above him, looking to its target's comrades as if to threaten them. When Gwenivere takes a defiant step forward, the Myconid swings its arm downward to strike the side of Cyrus' head. This only serves to further fuel Gwenivere's ire. "Dame Fiona, ready your blade; little prince, ready your bow." She holds out her palm and summons a fireball to it. "Your window of mercy has just closed, never to open again, you detestable vermin."

"Um, Gwen? Ar- Are you OK?"

Fae's voice is left unheard, for only the rage-filled thoughts swimming in Gwenivere's mind can reach her now. "I do not recall giving you permission to lay your filthy hands upon my beloved." She then hurls the fireball, completely catching her own comrades off guard as the Myconid is sent flying a considerable distance from Cyrus' body. The Myconid makes an effort to crawl away, in spite of the pain and poison wracking its very being. It can only proceed near the water's edge before a weight presses down on its back. Gwenivere is the culprit, having pressed her boot quite firmly. "I did not give you permission to flee either." The creature flails it arms in vain, only serving to waste its own energy. She grabs the creature by the back of its head and plunges what she assumes to be its face into the lake. "Everything you've done on this day was a series of worthless mistakes; and now? You're dying. Contemptible fool."

A cough sounds from Cyrus as his body gradually returns to its proper state. Sitting himself up, he checks for any lasting after effects. ' _That's weird; petrifaction doesn't normally fade after combat. Perhaps this is another difference with the creatures of Iorys' Yggdrasil._ ' He sighs in relief before Fae rushes over to him. "I'm fine, Fae, save for a wicked headache." He attempts to stand, only to realize that his body is not yet ready to do so. He stumbles, nearly falling completely before Gwenivere grabs hold of him. "Ah, thanks for the save, my dear; it would appear that I am in your debt."

"Hush now. Compared to the times you've rushed to my aid, this barely qualifies as a drop in the ocean." She reaches for his pocket, knowing one of the spools of Ariadne Thread should be there. "You're in no condition to proceed; let us return to Iorys."

"The end of the floor is near; I will last until then."

Stepping in for Cyrus' defense, Fiona adds, "Avoiding combat shouldn't be too difficult from this point forward."

Gwenivere takes a moment to consider this, knowing that her word is being challenged by two veteran explorers. She glances at Cyrus, and then to Fiona, before directing her gaze to the grass below. "I trust Cyrus to know his limits, and I want to believe he isn't pushing himself; what of the rest of you? Are you feeling well enough to continue?" Her remaining three comrades state that their condition is perfectly fine, to which she sighs in defeat. "Very well, but I shall hold on to this thread."

Another section to this caterpillar gauntlet remains to the south. This time, the path the party must traverse is so narrow that they are required to travel directly behind the FOE if they wish to proceed. Before committing to this course, they encounter a lemur who is struggling to catch any fish from the river. Hayato, taking pity at the sight, removes the fish Cyrus caught while Fae was speaking with the Guildmaster, and calls to the lemur as he presents it. Though hesitant, the lemur eventually accepts the offer and hurries back into the thicket, leaving the Seekers with their next task.

The caterpillar is gracious enough to avoid pulling any surprise maneuvers, allowing the Seekers to pass by without incident. The door at the end of this long path leads to a much smaller room. A large wall can be seen blocking what Fae can make out to be the staircase ascending to the next floor. Directly across from this staircase is a much larger version of the cute statues that can be seen throughout the stratum. Hayato places a hand upon this statue, causing it to fold backwards; this causes the wall blocking the staircase to sink into the ground, allowing access to the floor above.

Instead of ascending, the party investigates the rest of this room. A tree with ripe yellow apples upon its branches rests in a corner adjacent to the staircase. Fae picks a few, giggling to herself as she notes, "Now we can share these with the Guildmaster!"

Fiona directs everyone's attention to another shortcut, one that leads back to the second Take Point they found. The party steps through, intent on rushing back to the Guildmaster's location before Fiona stops in her tracks. "Wait, crap. I just realized something." The others look to her, confused and somewhat concerned. She asks Cyrus to unfurl the map, which he does. Pointing to the small walking space around C2, she says, "There was a secret entrance here that I noticed while we were in battle; we should check it out later."

Cyrus marks it on the map, thanking Fiona for her observation before rolling the parchment once again. Though there are new goals set for the Guild, they set out to complete their present tasks first.


	5. New Challengers

**Chapter 5: New Challengers**

With the second floor cleared at a much faster pace than expected, the Seekers opted to retire at the inn. Cyrus and Fae currently lie in bed; exhaustion caught up with them both, though it is likely that Gwenivere would have forced the former to rest his headache away regardless. The remaining three sit at a table downstairs; Fiona and Hayato are discussing the latter's life as a prince; Gwenivere is assisting Jenetta in the all-important task of cake consumption – their target on this evening is triple-layered, frosted with chocolate fudge, and has vanilla wafers baked directly into the interior as a supporting foundation.

"My dear Jenetta, this is simply divine. Why, I should like to hire you as a chef at our palace."

"Oh, that's a sweet offer, Milady, but I couldn't leave Iorys."

"The offer remains, so I implore you to think on it." Hearing footsteps descending the staircase, she redirects her attention to find that Cyrus and Fae have awoken, with the latter looking refreshed as she sits upon the former's shoulder. "Good evening, Fae; did you sleep well?"

"Uh huh, yup." She jumps down from her makeshift perch and runs over to hug Gwenivere. A giggle escapes the child as her comrade pats her on the head. "Are we gonna go to the third floor today, too?"

Gwenivere looks to Cyrus, who can only respond with an awkward chuckle. "I believe Cyrus is still feeling under the weather; the Labyrinth will have to carry on without us for a spell." She picks up Fae and sets her down on her lap. "In the meantime, we should further your studies."

A pout forms on the child's face almost immediately. "Boo~ Studying is boring; let's play instead!" Gwenivere's reply is a blank stare. Her eyes are closed and though she is smiling, Fae knows the face all too well. ' _Mommy makes that face when me and Daddy make really bad mistakes._ ' She stares at Gwenivere for just a moment more before concluding, ' _Nah, Mommy's a lot scarier when she does it._ ' An idea occurs to her, so she springs to action. "I'm an explorer, so playing keeps my st- stam- sta-mi-na high; Cyrus and Fiona said so." Gwenivere then directs this empty expression towards the Guild's Fencers, who both immediately avert eye contact. "Pretty please?"

' _Bollocks, are all children this difficult?_ ' She sighs before hugging Fae a bit closer. "Very well, sweetie; I'll let you have your way just this once. We'll find a nice park in which to exercise. After all, I have to burn these sweets, lest I put on undesirable weight."

"Now, now, my liege; careful observation of your dietary habits has led me to the conclusion that sweets go straight to your thighs…in which case I encourage you to eat just a bit more."

Fae raises her hand, a cheery expression having formed her countenance. "Ooh, ooh! I know this one! Daddy says thick thighs save lives…I don't get what it means, though."

"Your father sounds like a man of culture, Fae; I would endeavor to meet him before the journey is over."

Gwenivere can only sigh at this, though the sigh instead escapes her as a chuckle. Fae giggles at this, remarking that, "Mommy does the same thing whenever Daddy says that."

Hayato leans over to whisper in Fiona's ear. "Our allies are…strange."

She can only smile at his quip. "This isn't even Cyrus' final form."

Before he can present a query for this, a guardsman steps into the hall. He bows to the people present and states his piece. "Do not be alarmed; I am here as a messenger for Lord Egar. He has business with the Seekers, and asks that they make way for the Explorers Guild."

The party rises to the call and prepares to depart from the inn. Unfortunately, Gwenivere must abandon her current task, and says she leaves the rest to Jenetta's capable stomach. The innkeeper, judging from her joyous expression, is delighted to rise to the occasion. The trek to the Explorers Guild is short thanks to the distinct lack of traffic compared to yesterday. Stepping inside, the party can see two explorers conversing with Egar. Upon noticing the Seekers' arrival, Egar's momentarily redirected attention causes the two explorers to turn in kind.

Both explorers are female – one Earthlain, the other a Therian rabbit. The Earthlain is clad in heavy silver armor; a tower shield rests upon her back and a rifle rests at her hip. Standing as tall as Cyrus and Gwenivere, she exudes the air of a refined knight. Her brown eyes are focused, scanning the party for information. Her hair, also brown, is cut short; spherical light blue earrings dangle from her earlobes, and compliment her navy blue scarf quite nicely. Curiously, the tips of this scarf are emblazoned with the emblem of the Seekers, much like Cyrus' shoulder cape. Upon locking eyes with Cyrus, she holds her hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp.

Cyrus recognizes the woman in turn, and cannot stop himself from rushing over to pick her up. The task proves difficult because of her armor, so he looks back to Hayato and says, "My Lord, I am in need of the Ruinous Prayer." To everyone else's surprise, Hayato triggers the card without a second thought, causing his party to don their distorted auras once again. Cyrus nods to this, thanking his comrade before attempting to lift the woman once again. His efforts are successful this time, eliciting a sound of surprise from the brunette. He hugs her closely, resting his cheek on the cold steel where her stomach would be. "It's wonderful to see you again, Lissa; these past two years have been lesser for your absence."

He sets her down, granting the woman a chance to stare at him before wrapping her arms behind his back so that she may pull him in for a kiss. Though she would prefer to linger, as well as hold him close for much longer, she settles for a fleeting moment, and reluctantly pulls away. "It's been three for me, dear; I missed you, too." She directs her attention to the rest of the party, smiling once she spots Fiona. "It's nice to see you again, too, Fiona; are you finally living the dream?"

"Working on it; your boyfriend there makes for a decent evasion tank."

She points at him, not even taking her eyes off of Fiona. "You're joking, right? He didn't jump at the chance to be a Warlock?"

Gwenivere rests her hands on her hips and lets out a haughty chuckle. "I have our magical front covered quite thoroughly fair dame." She steps forward and offers her hand, which Lissa shakes firmly. "You must be Elizabeth, the sniper of whom my beloved spoke so fondly." She takes a moment to study Lissa's features, her face suggesting that the package is not what she expected. "I admit that his description had me anticipating a more petite individual. I was expecting you to be shorter and about as cute as Amy; and yet, here you stand at the same height as both Cyrus and I, and your beauty is comparable to Lucille's."

Lissa blushes at the compliment. "Oh no, you flatter me; Lucille is in a league all her own…"

"I do not offer empty compliments, Dame Elizabeth; the words of a member of House Concordia must always ring true. Ah, my manners; I am Gwenivere Concordia, future Overlord of the Province of Nature, as well as Cyrus' liege. I am also his first wife."

"W- Wife?" She looks to Cyrus, only to shift her attention back to Gwenivere without first seeing his reaction. "Well then, uh, congratulations; I'm happy the man finally got his confidence together." She then clears her throat, turning away from Cyrus to avoid letting him see her now red face. Seeing that her Therian companion is shooting a smirk her way, Lissa also raises her scarf to hide herself even further. "I'll spare you the suspense, Cyrus; whenever you're ready to propose…I accept."

"Splendid news, though I fear you'll have to wait awhile yet. I am still in the process of finding the jewel I intend to use in the crafting process of your engagement ring."

Egar chuckles at this. "Ah, youth; I too set out to find a gem befitting my betrothed's beauty. In the end I had to face a fierce dragon in single combat." He crosses his arms as yet another chuckle sounds from his helm. "The shield that saved me from its powerful claws rests upon a mantle to this very day."

"Whoa, the Guildmaster's a badass!"

Gwenivere frowns at this. "Fae! Who taught you such language?"

"I hear other explorers say it all the time…"

"You are not yet of age to speak with such vulgarity; wait until you're older, young lady."

"Y- Yes, ma'am."

Her embarrassment having decreased to acceptable levels, Lissa turns back to Cyrus, a smirk on her face as she asks, "So she's going to be strict one when you have kids?"

"I'm certainly hoping for such; I don't have the talent for this."

Egar asks, "May I ask what sort of jewel you're searching for, Cyrus?"

"This one is elusive indeed, Guildmaster. In Erdboden, there exists a sapphire that has been blessed by one of our dragon goddesses. It is known as the 'Aquatic Herald', and contains the blessings of both the ocean and Aquaria – the goddess who commands the element of water." He sighs, resting his hand in his pocket as he continues, "I've consulted the goddess and her older brother on the matter, but neither of them can remember where the gem is located."

"Your…the deities of Erdboden exist within the mortal realm?"

"Indeed. The gods interact with mortals on a daily basis; some of them have even put in commissions for my store."

"How curious."

Lissa's expression has shifted to one of shock. "You don't really intend to find such a gem, right?"

"What sort of question is that? I will offer only the best to the woman I love; you deserve nothing less."

The Therian woman finally speaks, though her initial remark is a scoff. Her arms are crossed as she says, "Alright, Lissa, I guess your boyfriend's OK." Directing their attention to her, the party takes note of this woman's features. She is shorter than Lissa, though not by a significant margin. Her blonde hair is styled the same way as her Earthlain companion, allowing her pale blue eyes to stand out. She wears a small black crop top, exposing much of her skin even with the sleeveless white survival vest worn over it. Several green pouches line the hem of this vest, all of which are secured tightly. Her thigh-high boots and boy shorts are a lighter shade of black, almost brown in their visage. A silver whistle is draped around her neck, though its purpose is unknown to the Seekers at present. A bow rests upon her back; its corresponding quiver resting just beneath it behind the woman's hips.

"Clarisse, did you think I was lying?"

"Oh don't give me that. It wouldn't be the first time a girl has put her lover up on a pedestal." She scoffs again, a smirk forming on her lips. "I mean, half the feats you said he accomplished didn't even sound real; I still don't believe he soloed the Storm Emperor, by the way."

"Since he's here, I imagine you'll get to see him work."

"Eh, we'll see." She steps up to Cyrus, giving him a once-over before nodding. "The name's Clarisse. Lissa and I work as a team under Prince Ramus. I can't say for certain just how much of Lissa's praise is warranted, but you've made my friend here pretty damn happy, even in your extended absence, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt…for now." She is surprised to see him extend his hand without saying a word. The confident smirk he wears speaks volumes in its silence. She dons a smirk of her own as she gives his hand a firm shake. "Accepting my challenge? I likes that in you." She quickly notes her mistake, and seeks to rectify it. "Er, that is to say…I find that sort of trait favorable in a man."

"Clarisse, please; speak in the manner you find most comfortable. The Seekers have never been so formal."

She lets out a sigh of relief at this. "Thanks, I appreciate it…but don't you go thinking I'll take it easy on you just because you're accommodating."

"Oh, but of course; the challenge would be no fun otherwise."

Though amused by the antics of these explorers, Egar takes the opportunity to explain why he's summoned the Seekers on this evening. "Cyrus, as well as Lady Gwenivere; do you two recall my Class explanation from yesterday?" They nod, to which he follows, "The council has come to a decision concerning Class access. Explorers, upon denoting their race, may opt to choose a Class outside of their usual range. Much like the cities you've visited prior, Iorys also allows the same explorer to enlist multiple times."

Cyrus immediately steps forward and makes a declaration; "I shall enlist a second time, as an Earthlain Masurao." Egar raises an eyebrow to this, though no one can see it. He asks Cyrus to elaborate. "Class Promotions are far off, but my natural bulk as a human will make fighting on the front lines much simpler. I intend to follow the path of the Blade Master, rather than the Blade Dancer."

"A most interesting choice, I must say."

Clarisse nods to this assessment. "I can't think of any Therian who has ever refrained from choosing Blade Dancer; we rely on our speed and strength to overwhelm our enemies, and lack the natural sturdiness of you Earthlains or Brounis."

Egar chuckles. "This man has been known to undertake strange setups in the past; I look forward to seeing where this road takes him." Looking to Lissa, he nods, silently urging her to make a statement.

"Hey, Cyrus." He looks to her, granting his attention. "Prince Ramus has asked Clarisse and me to form a Guild and join the Yggdrasil climb. With you here, I figure it is only natural that I join the Seekers again. I have spent these past three years training as a knight, and now walk as a Dragoon. If you are to take up the mantle of a dedicated damage dealer, I will be your shield." Cyrus simply nods, which brings a smile to Lissa's face as she pulls him into another embrace. "I look forward to this, dear."

"I'll be joining you, too; I'm a Rover, a bow-wielding Class that can summon an animal to assist our exploration. My companion is resting at home right now, but I'll introduce you tomorrow." She then yawns, stretching her arms above her head. "Those patrols can really wear you down; exploring Yggdrasil will be a nice change of pace." She yawns again before grabbing hold of Lissa's hand. "We should get going; gotta tell my folks the news." She then pulls Lissa along towards the exit of the Explorers Guild, "Ciao!"

Egar looks to Fiona and says, "I would say things are about to get interesting for your Guild, Fiona."

"With Cyrus present, that was a given, Guildmaster; it's only going to grow from here."

The following day, the Seekers reconvene at the Explorers Guild. True to her word, Clarisse has brought a companion along for the trip. The creature is a wolf with light blue tribal markings upon its head. The creature's fur is a darker shade of blue, and its eyes shimmer with the same shade of its markings. The tufts of fur extending from its paws dance with the wind, appearing as wisps of flame. Clarisse crouches down and rubs the wolf's neck, causing the creature to let out a whine as if embarrassed by the attention.

"This is my Hound; his name's Balto." Balto remains silent. "Come on, say hi; you weren't this shy when Lissa joined our home."

"Mistress, that was different." He finds his eyes shifting to the side as Cyrus approaches and drops to a knee before him. He stares into the man's eyes for a moment, trying to ascertain his intentions. Before long, Balto nods and barks once, which travels to Cyrus' ears as a proper greeting. "Greetings, human; though you cannot understand me, I look forward to working with you."

"I understand your words just fine, Balto, and look forward to working with you in turn."

"Wait…you can understand Balto?"

Lissa rolls her eyes at this. "I reminded you just last night that the Runic Eye grants Cyrus a slew of abilities, with the ability to talk to animals being the first…"

"And you expected me to believe that?" Lissa scoffs and rolls her eyes again, not willing to bother with a proper retort. Fae walks over and slowly reaches out to Balto, silently asking for permission to rub his fur. The wolf nods but once and lowers his head, granting the child her wish. She also rubs her nose against his, giggling in response to how cold it is. "Balto's always been good with kids. When I was just a baby, he'd watch over me about as diligently as my father."

"Your tendency to turn into a rabbit and hop to high places was very stressful for me." Clarisse blushes at this, knowing that someone else is now present to understand her companion. Balto reaches this same notion and looks to Cyrus. "Ah, I may speak of my mistress' embarrassing moments on occasion, but please bear her no ill-will."

"Certainly." He looks to see Clarisse glaring at him. "I won't tell a soul; promise."

Egar steps into the room, looking around in search of someone. Upon confirming that both Cyrus and Gwenivere are present, he nods. "Cyrus, you and Lady Gwenivere have two visitors seeking to join your Guild. They both claim to know you."

It is then that Egar signals for these two visitors to enter the room. The first to do so is a young woman, 20 years of age, with faded red eyes and black hair trimmed to a short bob-cut. In contrast with her eyes, her hair has a pronounced sheen, granting it the guise of a shimmering surface. She is garbed with a White Mage robe with red triangles lining the hem as well as the cuffs of her sleeves. Her expression brightens upon seeing both Fiona and Lissa; she skips over to them both, pulling them into a tight embrace as she effortlessly lifts them from the ground.

"It's so wonderful to see you two again! My Lissa, how you've grown; you're taller than I am!" She sets her comrades back onto solid ground, her smile persisting. She brings her hands together upon seeing Fiona's armor set. "Fiona, girl, that gear looks so good on you!"

"Uh, thanks, Amy. I see two years have done nothing to hinder your strength."

She nods to this. "I've been training; after my time in Armoroad, I realized that I really needed to get my physical strength under control." She clenches her fist and brings it closer to her chest. "My technique has gotten much better, and I intend to demonstrate." Noticing the rest of the party, she moves over to hug both Cyrus and Gwenivere. "I told you I wouldn't be long." She then spots Fae, who is standing beside Cyrus. Amy kneels down to pick up the child, eliciting a giggle from her in kind. She holds Fae close, slightly swaying in place as she says, "And you are just the cutest! What's your name, little one?"

"I'm Fae! Are you Cyrus' dragon sister?"

"Eh? Well, yes, I can turn into a dragon, and I'm also Cyrus' sister-in-law."

"Yup, you're just as cute as he said you were! You're super strong, too; can you teach me how to be like you when I grow up?" Amy's beaming expression intensifies at this, and she promises to assist Fae almost instantly. The child cheers, giggling afterwards.

Setting Fae down, Amy's sights turn to Hayato. She tilts her head slightly, trying to place where she's seen his face before. "Wait…Lord Nagato?"

"You are close; Nagato is my father. My name is Hayato." He is then picked up, surprised at how he feels weightless in Amy's grip. "Um, contrary to what you may be thinking, I'm 16; Fae, however, is indeed as young as she appears."

"You look just like your father, just shorter, and with darker skin. The Erdboden counterpart to your father has peach skin like my own, though I must say I much prefer this lovely shade of brown. Hm, reminds me of my husband, actually; his skin is of a comparable tone." He blushes at this, stammering on his words in an attempt to thank Amy for the compliment. She sets him down before extending her greeting to Clarisse and Balto. As she rubs the Hound's neck, she offers a remark. "Such a noble bearing; I can tell you're quite strong."

The second person slowly steps in after the commotion dies down. She pokes her head into the room, made cautious by the notion of how many people must await beyond the door. Much like Gwenivere, this young woman boasts a fashion sense heavily dedicated to the Gothic Lolita style. Her dress lacks sleeves, as well as material to cover her back; primarily black in color, the scheme of this dress gradually shifts as it draws near the hem. Upon arriving at the frills, the color shifts from black to gray, with the shading becoming progressively brighter until the frills at the bottom are entirely white. She wears a pair of black boots identical to those worn by Cyrus and Gwenivere.

A pink and purple ribbon is tied to the back of her dress, adding flair to her ensemble. Her raven-black hair is long, much like Gwenivere's, though hers is braided into a single ponytail; a ribbon matching the one on her dress is tied towards the ponytail's bottom. A pair of bangs rests at either side of her face, leaving her purple eyes unimpeded. Though much of her tanned peach skin is left exposed, she covers her arms with a pair of black gloves that reach all the way to her biceps.

Upon seeing Cyrus, she lets out a sigh of relief and smiles, her expression becoming much calmer. "Hey Chief."

The others look to him, curious about the nickname. Cyrus ignores these silent questions in favor of walking over to the young woman. He takes a knee, holding out his arm towards the girl in a state of presentation. After clearing his throat, he adopts a booming voice as he introduces her. "Behold and bear witness, friends, for you stand in the presence of my most cherished apprentice! Her name? Valerie. Do not let her bewitching appearance deceive you, for she is a prodigy of the dark arts." He then holds her up as she sits on his bicep. "Behind this criminally adorable countenance awaits the spirit of a warrior, one capable of standing against any threat."

Though her expression remains calm, Valerie is internally screaming at present. "Chief, this is really embarrassing. Please hurry."

He sets her back down onto the floor, and then takes to standing at her side. He rests a hand on her farthest shoulder, giving a proud smile as he says, "She's my pride and joy, so please treat her well."

Of all people, Egar expresses uncertainty. "So, tell me. Is Valerie perhaps your daughter from the future, or…"

Valerie quickly waves her hands in a dismissive manner. "No, no, nothing so complicated!" She glances at Cyrus briefly before locking her arm in his. She pulls him a bit closer so that she may momentarily rest her head upon this same arm. "The Chief and I go way back; he was the first friend I ever made, and he taught me how to wield dark magic." She steps away from him in order to face the rest of the Guild and perform a curtsy before them. "I'm not used to working with a group, but I promise to help you all however I can."

Clarisse holds up a hand in greeting, also shooting a smile at Valerie. "The name's Clarisse." She then crouches down to direct Valerie's attention to Balto. "This here is Balto, my trusted companion."

Valerie approaches the Hound, crouching down in hopes of petting the creature. Balto allows this, eliciting a childish giggle from her. "Aw, what a cute pupper. He looks strong, too." She looks to Cyrus and asks, "Hey, Chief? What Classes are available?"

Despite the implications of that question, registration takes less than 15 minutes. Amy and Valerie are both signed on as Earthlains, with Amy taking on the role of Pugilist and Valerie taking up the mantle of Harbinger. The Seekers depart from the Explorers Guild and ultimately split into two separate groups. Fiona, Fae, Gwenivere, and Hayato will return to Jenetta's Inn to take the day off. Cyrus will take the remaining four to the marketplace to purchase some gear before traveling to the first floor of the Labyrinth for training and gathering.

The squad arrives, training gear and various storage bags in tow. Amy's initial wave of comments concerning the Tutelary Forest is similar to those made by Cyrus and Fiona, with multiple comparisons to Armoroad's Waterfall Woods being drawn. Valerie is taken aback by the tree's interior, surprised at seeing an entire forest grow within a single tree. "I've seen forests like this in books back home, but I didn't think I'd ever get to see one in person." She glances to the new scythe on her back, her advance slowing as a concern slows her down. She looks to Lissa and Cyrus, conflicted on which of the two would be the better authority to consult. "Uh, are you sure it's safe for me to carry this around? What if I fell a tree by accident?"

Lissa tilts her head at this, raising an eyebrow at the notion. "I don't think that's ever happened before, not even with novice Harbingers."

"I'm even less concerned since Valerie already has weapon training with scythes." Looking to his apprentice, he follows, "You needn't worry; Yggdrasil's interior is incredibly durable, and likewise boasts curious regenerative powers as a supplement."

Taking a seat on a nearby rock, Clarisse looks out to the small stream marked on the map as a suitable fishing spot. She currently holds the map in her possession, and looks over it for information. "This map is pretty damn nice; Co, who drew this?" Pointing a thumb at himself, Cyrus gives her a basic reply. "No lie? Not bad; you put in work, considering your impairment."

Lissa rests a hand on her hip, a chuckle escaping her as she asks, "You've already given him a nickname?"

"Sure, why not? It's either 'Co' or 'Boss', and I'm really not feelin' the latter." She pulls a small notebook from one of the pouches on her vest and flips it open to a page. On it, the others can see her beautiful penmanship, but more importantly, they can see a list of names. The current members of Seekers are each listed on this single page; given names are listed on the left; to the right of each is an assigned nickname as provided by the author herself. Curiously, Amy is lacking such a nickname. "I really have no idea what to call our Pugilist."

Lissa chuckles, a mischievous smirk forming on her lips. "You could try 'Stacks'; that'll work." When Clarisse requests an elaboration, Lissa follows, "Well, Amy's robe there hides her figure really well. She looks like a dainty little flower, but beneath that garb is, bar none, the strongest member of our Guild's collective roster."

Amy blushes at this, twiddling her thumbs as she fidgets in place. "Lissa, we've been over this; I dress this way to retain my cute appearance, and the robe itself is a training weight…I'm not trying to be deceitful." Clarisse is now staring at her with an inquisitive expression. "You're…not gonna let this drop, are you Clarisse?"

"I'll make you deal – if you show me what you really look like, you can call me 'Reese', no questions asked."

Lissa's expression becomes surprisingly displeased at this. "Excuse me?! Do you know what kind of crap I had to go through to earn that right?! And I let you call me 'Lissa' for free; for free, Reese!"

"Yeah, yeah, simmer down, sister." Lissa can only sputter a collection of failed words in response. Ignoring her comrade, Clarisse looks to Amy with a sympathetic expression as she says, "I won't force you, of course. I can drop it…for now anyway; I'll definitely bring it up later, though."

Amy sighs. "At least you're honest." She puts a bit of distance between herself and her allies. In a single motion, her White Mage robe is removed. It hits the grass beside her, emitting a loud thud as a sizable crater forms. Clarisse jumps back at this, her attention focused entirely on the now discarded robe. When she looks back up, Amy is standing tall with her hands on her hips, contrary to the embarrassed disposition Clarisse expected. Beneath the robe, Amy wears a pair of tight blue jeans that puts her physique on display, as well as a black short-sleeved shirt sporting the design of a caped sentient pumpkin wielding a lit lantern on the front. On the back, in the guise of orange letters wreathed in flames reads the name of this pumpkin – "Pyro Jack".

Her arms are left exposed because of this shirt, leaving their muscular tone for any observers to see. Clarisse briefly checks her own biceps for comparison, and suddenly deems herself lacking. In her efforts to avoid staring, her eyes instead wander to Amy's chest, which only makes the feeling worse. "At least now I see where the name 'Stacks' comes from." She sighs. "That robe really is a good disguise; I never would have imagined." She points at the discarded robe, more specifically the crater in which it lies. "And just what the Hell is that?"

"It's…my robe?" Clarisse says nothing, instead motioning with her hands in an exasperated manner. Amy sighs. "I used to have a lot of trouble controlling my physical strength in the past, so I asked my mother to design this robe for me. It helped me weight train without running the risk of breaking everything I came into contact with."

"You're exaggerating, right?"

"If only." A sad expression forms upon saying these words, her mind plagued with thoughts of a past she would rather forget. "It wasn't until the tail end of the war that I was finally able to deliver a punch without obliterating the target." She takes to nursing her left arm with the other; though she is not experiencing pain, she endeavors in this act simply to avoid remaining idle.

"What is up with you Erdboden people? Are all of you titanic demi-gods?" She looks at Valerie, shading her eyes into a leer. "So what's your story, Princess? Are you the reincarnation of a death goddess?"

"No, I'm quite normal. Amy and the Chief are…well, they're under unique circumstances; not everyone in Erdboden is like that, at least…not at so young an age."

Cyrus and Amy are looking elsewhere, notably avoiding eye contact with the others. Seeing this, Clarisse reflects on her comments. "Hey…I didn't mean anything by that." In unison, they both claim to understand her sentiment. "I don't know what you two have been through, but I really don't intend to add any bad memories…or stir up the ones already there."

Amy picks her robe up from the ground and dons it once again. "Are you satisfied, Clarisse?"

"Huh? Oh, right; thanks, Amy. Mind if I call you 'Stinger' from now on?"

"S- Stinger?"

"Yeah, you can swing to stun now, right? Let it remind you of that if you ever start doubting yourself."

Amy falls silent at this. Soon she smiles again, a bit of her fire returning, "Thanks, Reese…I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. Now then," she says as she directs her attention at Cyrus. "Are you gonna be alright as a Masurao, Co?"

"From what font does this concern spring?"

"From whence doth th-" she sputters. "Ugh, I can't do that. I'm not even gonna try." She points at what remains of his left arm, a somewhat concerned and saddened expression taking over her countenance. "Can you really work a katana with just one arm?"

"You're worried about a potential decrease in efficacy; that's understandable."

"I mean no disrespect. Your decision just seemed…" she shrugs, "I dunno – spur of the moment?" She crosses her arms, her expression maintained. "And your confidence in walking the path of the Blade Master is unique."

"That's something I don't understand; is it really so uncommon?" She nods, to which he asks, "Why is that, exactly?"

"Like I said last night, Therians are the ones who primarily take this Class, and it is basically universally believed that the path of the Blade Dancer is the one to traverse if true mastery is their aim. My mom's a Masurao, actually – a Blade Dancer, too."

Despite his silence after all this time, Balto looks to Cyrus and says, "The Mistress has never bore witness to a Blade Master, nor have I. We have no frame of reference."

"Hm, then I suppose I have a task to meet." Looking to Clarisse, a smirk forms on his face as he says, "I don't intend to be the best warrior you've ever seen, but I will show you that there's no need to worry about me on the battlef-"

Lissa cuts him off, shooting a stern expression as she adopts a corrective tone. "Yes there is."

"Lissa, please."

"I've seen you through some terrible fights, Cyrus. Remember Corotrangul from Etria?"

"How could I forget? You and I had to face a Stratum Boss as a lone duo – I almost lost you."

"And yet you were the one rendered bed-ridden because of the injuries you sustained protecting me. I know how strong you are; I know you're competent, but I also know of your limits and how frequently you choose to ignore them. I'll…always worry about you when we're in a fight – it's unavoidable, so don't go and give Reese and Balto the wrong idea."

He sighs at this, directing his now closed eyes to the grass below. He looks up, returning his focus to his allies, Clarisse specifically. "Right, that was careless of me. I ask that you watch me work, Clarisse, but know that I…" he hesitates. "There will likely come a time when I must call upon your strength."

"Yeah, I'll be there; don't worry about it." She hands the map over to him so that she may draw her bow. "We should probably get to work on that training; what's the plan for that, anyway?"

Valerie takes her place at Cyrus' side, hands folded in front of her. "Harbingers have this Skill called Soul Gather. It draws monsters towards us and also increases our earned experience."

Clarisse raises an eyebrow to this. "This ain't a Tabletop RPG, Princess."

"I'm aware, but it's more convenient to explain it that way." Her mouth forms a frown as she follows, "People usually get fearful and hesitant when they hear the truth of the explanation, at least, that's what I was told."

"Now you got me curious."

"Well…" She looks to Cyrus, who simply nods at her. "OK, look, the Skill is called 'Soul Gather', right? We're essentially taking in the lingering essence of our departed foes, taking an extra bit of energy from them to bolster what we're already taking from the fight."

"Whoa, whoa, what?! You're trying to make me a soul stealer?!"

"This is why I didn't want to say anything."

"Damn, you Earthlains are savage." She looks to Cyrus, a thought having just occurred to her. "The Princess took a step by your side, so how do you fit into this?" A moment of silence. "Wait…you're gonna use New Challenger to summon Rare Breeds, aren't you?"

"How astute of you, Clarisse. However, there is a quest from the council that we must complete before trying this. According to Matron Mirina, there is a Rare Breed we are tasked with slaying on the second floor." He opens the map to direct his team's attention to their destination. "Conveniently, there is also unexplored territory near this destination, so we shall make an effort to cover that as well." He furls the map before returning it among the Guild's essentials. "Before that, however, we will simply use Soul Gather to work with what we have. Weapons ready, everyone." He then nods to Valerie, giving her the signal to trigger her Skill's effect.


	6. Crimson and Darkness

**Chapter 6: Crimson and Darkness**

After several hours and countless battles, the second squad of the Seekers is currently taking a break on the second floor. En route to the shortcut leading towards the first Take Point, as well as the entrance to the caterpillar grounds, Lissa points out the existence of a nearby campsite that Cyrus and his team overlooked during their initial trek. A fire is started, giving the party agency to rest for a spell. Cyrus and Amy work together to prepare the fish the Guild has caught for cooking; Clarisse prepares the meat, though she refrains from using any of the honey earned from the Guildmaster. A sad expression can be seen on her face as she reluctantly pulls away from the inviting bottles.

Soon, the food is prepared, granting the party improved means of restoring their energy when outside of combat. Though they are not hungry now, they will appreciate their improved provisions in the upcoming future. The trek through the caterpillar grounds takes longer than usual due to the increased encounter rate provided by Soul Gather. The party arrives at the entrance to the hidden area Fiona mentioned prior; Clarisse and Cyrus take to the fore and push ahead to scout the area.

Without advancing too far from the shrubbery, the two remain behind cover as they observe the machinations of the forest denizens. A single Ice Bat is delegating orders to a trio of Wild Dogs; the orders mostly consist of priority assignments – patrolling the perimeter for intruders is of particular note, as is the order to call for back-up and engage enemies upon contact. Many more Wild Dogs can be seen already covering their grounds, supported from the air by several other Ice Bats. Cyrus and Clarisse glance at each other, wary expressions on their faces, before they silently agree to retreat.

Clarisse emerges from the shrubbery first, and helps Cyrus to his feet. She looks to her comrades, who are awaiting some sort of affirmation, but subverts their expectations by saying, "Yeah, no, fuck all that."

"I must agree with Clarisse on this one. There are way too many Wild Dogs to deal with in that region." He takes hold of his chin, momentarily looking away from his allies to glance at nothing in particular. "We'll have to come back with crowd control options. Valerie's ability to paralyze an entire enemy line will be of use in there, but let's wait until she can properly wield the Miasma Armor."

There are no objections with his and Clarisse's suggestions, so the party presses forward. They arrive at the location specified by Mirina, but see no signs of a monster. Upon closer inspection, Amy makes note of the myriad corpses of other monsters. An effort has been made to conceal a few of these corpses, but the job is too shoddy. "Anyone coming here while the sun is high up would easily spot this mess." She shakes her head at the sight, rising to her feet; "What a waste of life…"

Resting his hand on the hilt of his katana, Cyrus turns away from the corpses to address an as of yet unseen threat. "Seekers, prepare for combat." A trio of Air Squirrels floats into view; in the center of the enemy formation is an Air Squirrel that seems to shimmer with a brilliant golden gleam. Even in the darkness of the early evening, this creatures shines as a beacon, though the Seekers liken it more to a lure for unsuspecting prey. "Amy, disable either of the other two." He attempts to draw his katana, only for his movements to spur the Rare Breed into action.

Though Cyrus calls for Valerie to defend herself, the Air Squirrel is much too swift, and hurls its entire being into her chest. She is knocked onto her back, and also loses hold of her scythe. Clarisse shoots an arrow at the squirrel during its recovery period, an act that deters it from pressing further. An audible click sounds the action of Cyrus drawing his weapon, but when Clarisse turns her head to confirm his target, he is nowhere to be seen. ' _Wait…what?_ ' Another click rings through the air, this time directing her attention to the Rare Breed. Cyrus stands before it, seemingly in the middle of a drawing slash, but he remains idle. The squirrel, in but a brief instant, is suddenly cleaved in twain before its bisected corpse falls to the ground. "The Hell just happened?"

Though Lissa also has questions concerning this, she refrains from asking, instead following her comrade's pace. She loads some sort of shell into her firearm before taking aim at the spot directly ahead of Cyrus and pulling the trigger. The result is the deployment of an artillery shell that transforms into a large shield that covers a wide area. "Bunker deployed! Clarisse, tend to Valerie!"

The sudden order snaps Clarisse's mind into proper focus. She helps Valerie sit up, supporting her head as she and Balto check for injuries. As Valerie's eyes open, the area begins to dim. There is not a cloud in the sky, with the full moon being clearly visible, yet the moonlight that should be beaming down onto this battleground is being impeded. Another look at Valerie shows that her eyes are glowing. Though concerned, Clarisse cannot bring herself to move. "Princess? You doin' alright?" Valerie then rises to her feet; "Whoa, wait a sec, you can't move just yet!"

Ignoring this, Valerie holds out an open palm, to which her weapon floats. She then disappears from sight, leaving naught but a minuscule speck of black smoke where her back used to be. She reappears, jumping from Cyrus' shoulder in order to engage in a team attack. A white flash briefly shimmers from their bodies, signaling the use of a Union Skill. Their weapons are met with one of the Air Squirrels, which falls to the ground and breathes its last. Amy brings an end to the final squirrel with a punch to the chest; her attack struck with enough force to cause the target's heart to rupture. The victim is unable to even give a dying squeak as it hits the ground.

The dark veil covering the area lifts as Valerie's eyes cease their glowing. Her fatigue catches up with her, causing the young woman to stumble; Cyrus gently pulls her closer upon resting a hand on her shoulder. He lets out a sigh of relief and looks over the rest of his team. "Nice work, team; I could have given better orders in hindsight." He crouches in order to help Valerie rest herself on the grass. "That Union Skill could have probably been used to gain priority over the Rare Breed." He then looks to Lissa, who is steadily approaching to check on both him and Valerie. "I should have called for Line Guard."

He looks to the Decoy Bunker, and has to immediately hold a hand to his mouth to avoid bursting into laughter. Upon the face of the bunker is a detailed artist's rendition of Lissa wearing her pajamas as she supports herself on the ground; she is positioned in such a way that suggests she's vulnerable to attack, which is only further accentuated by the panicked expression she wears. Lissa steps into his field of vision, effectively blocking the bunker from sight. Knowing full well that he saw it, she doesn't even bother to hide her embarrassment as she claims, "That design was not my idea." She then points an accusatory finger at Clarisse, who is busy addressing Valerie's wounds alongside Balto. "I told you it was stupid, Reese."

Having calmed himself, Cyrus waves his hand at Lissa to dismiss her ire. "You misunderstand; it's funny because it's such an obvious trap. I've never seen you look like that, and probably never will; it's amusing to think monsters will fall for the look and get punished accordingly." She crosses her arms at this, glaring at him. He looks to Clarisse and gives a thumbs-up. "To improve the enmity rate, I suggest depicting her as a princess, complete with a crown." Clarisse's face brightens at the thought, as if struck by an epiphany; Lissa instead brings her palm to her face and heaves an exasperated sigh.

Rising to her feet, Valerie bows to the duo who worked to heal her. She places a hand to her chest, letting out a sigh of relief. Looking to Cyrus, she says, "Thanks for the save, Chief." She looks down, her eyes showing a hint of shame at her failure. "You called upon the demon's pact to do that, right?"

Clarisse and Lissa's eyes widen at the mention of a demonic pact, but Cyrus elects to address Valerie's claim first. "No. My ability to warp using the power of darkness is actually retained in this world, though the Erdboden restrictions still apply so it's…not terribly reliable in combat, at least not yet. As you can see, we can still warp to each other, so we have something to work with."

"Oh…oh, I see." Her expression brightens at this somewhat, at least enough for her to return to making eye contact.

"You are right in that I called upon Lord Wrath, though; I didn't want to take any chances with that Rare Breed being so close to you, so I called upon his power for a boost."

Before either Clarisse or Lissa can request an explanation, the former's attention is drawn to Cyrus' shadow. She takes a step back in surprise, a look of fear plastering upon her countenance. Instead of Cyrus' usual shadow, there stands the figure of a completely different being in its place. Pointed horns protrude from its head, reaching towards the sky as they curve inwards, just barely failing to make contact with one another. The creature replacing his shadow is more muscular, and also sports two arms. Clarisse's horror intensifies as the shadow rises to stand behind Cyrus, revealing that it towers above any other member of Seekers, standing above two meters at 7 feet. Lissa pulls Clarisse behind her, raising her shield and tightly gripping the handle of her rifle.

The shadow then opens its eyes, revealing them to be nothing more than featureless spaces of white that sport an aetherial glow. "Cyrus, I think your comrades can see me." The distorted nature of his deep voice causes a group of birds to flee the area.

"Holy shit, it talks!"

"…They can hear me as well; how peculiar." He looks to both Valerie and Amy, who are currently waving at him. "Even little Amy can gaze upon me. This is strange."

"Love, step out of the way; I can't risk shooting you!" Cyrus blinks twice, confused. "Are you held in place?"

"Everyone, please calm down; Lord Wrath is no enemy." Lissa and Clarisse understandably remain on guard; it can be argued that Clarisse only tenses further. He takes a seat, patting the grass in an effort to prompt his allies to do the same. To assist his efforts, Amy takes a seat directly beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. Valerie does the unthinkable, and engages the demon in a game of patty-cake. Their exchanges are intricate and long-winded for what is meant to be a children's game, suggesting that they have a history of practicing together. The incredulity of this leaves the standing pair so taken aback that they just take a seat.

The demon begins with an introduction. Though his voice retains its distortion, its effect is currently subdued through unknown means. "Within the realm of Erdboden, I exist among a group of beings who encourage and feed upon the deadly vices of humans. As you might have guessed from my moniker, I feed upon your kind's wrathful nature."

Balto asks, "Is that your real name?"

"No. My true name is incomprehensible to humans; any attempts to convey it result in their kind hearing static." He sighs, suggesting disappointment. "Even Cyrus is unable to know who I am, despite our pact."

Cyrus rests his sheathed katana on the grass as he says, "The nature of our pact is very simple. Lord Wrath grants me power in exchange for his ability to feed upon the energy I generate whilst under the effects of his boons."

Clarisse stresses a fair point; "There's always a catch, so what's yours?"

Cyrus falls silent. "That's…" Silence once more; he takes a moment to carefully consider how to explain this. His confidence in his ability to meet this task wavers upon seeing Lissa's stern expression. He sighs. ' _This won't end well._ ' He nods to himself, resigned to the notion. "Over-reliance on the power I'm granted poses the risk of me losing myself in the carnage of combat. Should that happen, I'll become a being consumed by the inherent wrath within me; Lord Wrath will devour my soul, and my body will eventually be taken by the darkness, transforming what remains into another of his species."

As much as she wishes to command him to sever this pact, a more pressing matter rests at the forefront of Lissa's mind. "Cyrus…why did you make this pact in the first place?"

He closes his eyes, angling his head towards the grass as the memories return. He opens his eyes, but refrains from meeting the gazes of his comrades. "I was young, a mere squire in desperate need of power to protect his liege and the other people he was afraid to lose." He looks to Lord Wrath and finds himself smirking. He chuckles, though Lissa is bewildered as to his reasons. "Even now, with the strength I've amassed, I believe I would have still eventually made a pact with him."

"Cyrus is a curious host. We met as enemies, for I was in a pact with another human, one who was hired to assassinate Gwenivere." Upon seeing Clarisse and Lissa's shocked expressions, he chuckles. "Imagine my surprise when a mere 11-year-old child takes the life of my host and then demands that I use him as a host instead."

Lissa looks to her lover, stupefied. "You fucking what, mate?"

Amy sighs at this. "We weren't lying when we called our circumstances complicated."

"I understand that, Amy, but you two never told me this…"

Cyrus looks to her with sadness in his eyes. "There was no easy way to bring this up, Lissa. Our time together in Etria would have been too soon, and I didn't call upon his power in this world again until my time in Tharsis."

"Wait, you used these powers in Etria? When?"

"Anytime I got Wrath's Might to trigger." Lissa's eyes widen at this. Her eyes scan the grass below, likely in an effort to count just how many times Lord Wrath was present without her knowing. "I thought my time had come when I protected Denise from that Bane Lizard; I couldn't even see the world around me, only the red of my own anger and desperation."

"You were on the precipice. Your concern for your mother's counterpart was the only thing that held you back."

Cyrus rises to his feet, returning his katana to his waist; Amy rises as well, opting to assist Valerie. "There was also the time we stormed the crystal stronghold to confront the Void Dweller; I could steadily feel myself losing control." He shakes his head to clear his mind of such thoughts. Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, he says, "Let's head to the bar and turn in this quest." Lissa rises to her feet and looks to him; her expression is one of expectance, one that Cyrus has seen many times during their journeys together. "As I said back in Armoroad, I don't intend to keep secrets from you; if a subject is broached and you find yourself curious, I'll provide answers, Lissa."

"All of these things weigh you down, don't they?" He nods, causing her to sigh. "You'll keep your word?"

"As is the Coelistis creed; no promise goes unfulfilled."

She nods to him and speaks no further, instead standing at his side as the party is transported out of the Labyrinth. Stepping into the Twilight Tavern, they are greeted by Mirina, who is given brief introductions to the new faces of Seekers. Though she is already familiar with Clarisse and Lissa, Amy and Valerie are unknown to her. "Lissa, when you told me you were a veteran explorer, I had no idea you were a part of Seekers – and the original branch no less!"

"I try not to let that fame go to my head. By the way, we took care of the council's request."

"The one about the Rare Breed, yes? I'll be sure to send word. Your Guild will probably start receiving more quests now, but I hope you don't get anything too dangerous." She pauses for a moment, pondering some matter or other. "Hm, one would think the Seekers would immediately be in the council's regards."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "It has been two years since our last adventure in this world, and our endeavors haven't stretched that far through Arcania." He smiles, looking a bit nostalgic. "It feels kinda nice to go back to being not so well-known." One of Mirina's regulars, a Therian woman who works as a huntress, approaches the group to strike up conversation. She introduces herself to the Seekers as Jaimie, a merchant. "Ooh, then let us establish a new set of clientele for you. What do you have?" This exchange ends with Cyrus buying four premium cuts of meat; Jaimie bids the group farewell, stating that she has to procure more resources.

"I guess you wouldn't get that sort of casual approach if you weren't in Arcania." She rests a hand on her hip, settling into an eased disposition. "Will you all be staying long? I can take your orders now if you're ready."

Lissa shakes her head to this. "We gotta run to the marketplace to meet Syrik."

"Oh? Got some forging to do, I take it?" Lissa nods to this, a giddy smile on her face. Mirina can't help but chuckle at this. "How pragmatic of you. I imagine it's much cheaper to upgrade a current weapon than it is to buy a new one."

Amy nods in agreement as she brings her hands together. "And just like Cyrus' shop back home, Syrik doesn't charge extra for forging; it's great~"

Tapping at the katana on his hip, Cyrus' nostalgic smile returns. "It feels strange having our gear play such an important role in Iorys when we could afford to forego upgrades for several Labyrinth floors at a time in the past. It…reminds me of Erdboden, actually." He pauses before offering a slight correction. "Minus the importance of armor. A lot of warriors in Erdboden get by through evasion and parrying; traditional tanking is uncommon now."

Valerie, having been engaged in playing with Balto, finally joins the conversation. "You really feel the upgrade difference too." Pointing to the scythe on her back, she follows, "We really brought out the power in this scythe, and it's just made from ore found on the first floor. The only thing that'll surpass this will be a weapon forged from FOE parts, and even then it'll probably stay ahead until that can get forged."

"Then don't let me keep you; you all sound quite excited." They bid her farewell, but before they can walk out the door, she calls out to them; "Don't forget to stop in for more work!"

At the marketplace, the group can see Fae assisting Syrik as he sells his wares. Amy notices that the merchant's stepping stool is looking wobbly, and quickens her pace in anticipation of its imminent malfunction. Sure enough, Syrik slips, letting out a yelp of surprise; he doesn't hit the ground, instead finding himself staring up into the eyes of the woman who currently holds him in her protective arms. "Are you an angel?" She sighs, followed by tossing Syrik over to Clarisse. "Oh, hey Clarisse; you here for that date?" She drops him without hesitation. He groans before picking himself off the ground. "Man, tough crowd."

Fae runs over to Amy and leaps into her arms. "Welcome back, everyone!" Seeing the materials they brought, she looks to Syrik and says, "They brought the goods, sir. I think they want more upgrades."

He walks over to his workstation and preps his tools. Surprisingly, Clarisse steps up first. "What'll it be?" She then places a sheet of paper onto the counter and slides it towards him. A smirk is upon her countenance and, after reading over the paper's contents, Syrik nods. "Well I'll be, that does sound like a decent improvement." He secures the paper into a sheer casing. "I'll be sure to get the artisans working on this one." He then spends a deal of time working alongside Cyrus to upgrade everyone's weapons. "You sure you don't want to work here, Cyrus? I can offer a handsome pay."

"The offer is tempting, the quality of this kiln even more so, but I'm afraid I have to decline. The Labyrinth is quite demanding this time. I dare say I took the ease of Tharsis for granted." He reaches to the side for another material, only to be met with thin air. Looking to the side, he realizes, "Ah, dammit; we're out of Conical Canines again."

Crossing her arms, Valerie shoots a telling grin at him. "Sounds to me like someone wants to brave the lair of the Wild Dog Army."

"Eh…not quite." He steps from the workstation to clean his hand of debris. A moment is taken to gaze upon his work, particularly what was done for his katana and Clarisse's bow. The latter looks quite pleased with her weapon's upgrade.

"You know a thing or two about archery, Cyrus?"

"I used to practice alongside Lady Belle, the cousin of my liege." His expression then shifts to express sadness; Clarisse, having been distracted by his shoulder cape, quickly realizes why. "After losing my left arm, practicing became difficult. I'm flexible enough to use one of my legs to nock the arrow, but you can imagine how impractical that would be in a combat scenario."

"Yeah, I bet. Don't you have a means of getting it back? Your arm, I mean."

"I could channel the element of darkness to temporarily conjure one, but the effect is woefully inconsistent in this world." He shrugs. "To be fair, I'm still trying to improve its duration back home. I can't risk any of your lives on it."

"What if you and Valerie worked on it? We already know your dark magic works over here, so maybe you can make something happen if you use her powers as a Harbinger." Cyrus and Valerie look to each other, hesitation present in their eyes. They eventually nod in unison, claiming Clarisse's idea as a sound one. She chuckles at this. "You should listen to me more often; I'm not just a pretty face, you know." She grabs hold of Lissa's hand and motions to depart from the marketplace. Balto quickly takes his place at her side as she throws a fist into the air and makes some sort of proclamation about being the genius who will conquer Yggdrasil. The others bid farewell to Syrik and Fae before chasing after these two.

The Seekers don't progress terribly far before Gwenivere enters their field of vision. "Good evening, everyone; taking a late dive into the Labyrinth?"

Clarisse fist pumps, still feeling the sudden urge to continue exploring. "Yeah. Since we're not tackling that secret area yet, we're gonna get started on the third floor."

"Hm, then perhaps I should join you." She looks to Amy, a smile on her face. "Dearest sister, might I trouble you to swap places with me?"

"Sure. You were heading to pick up Fae, yes? I'll handle that in your stead."

"I would certainly appreciate it. Oh, but no sweets after 9; that child will never get to sleep."

"Uh…right. Got it."

After bidding Amy farewell, the reformed party arrives at the third floor. The initial clearing is free of obstructive trees, granting full view of the drifting clouds above. Beams of moonlight pierce through the trees beyond, allowing for an extended viewing of what lies ahead. Valerie and Gwenivere take a moment to breathe in the cool crisp air, exhaling in unison as content expressions form on their faces. There is but one path to follow, but the open construction of the floor allows the Seekers to see that stretches of traversable land await beyond the waters barring the way.

Upon arriving at a fork, the Erdboden trio senses a flow of aether; it is cool in its presence, not unlike ice magic. It is at this moment that Gwenivere recalls a Celestrian she and the others met at the Twilight Tavern. "The man's name was Thadius. He seeks a cut of Sunstone and Moonstone in order to craft a ring for his betrothed. I accepted the quest, of course."

Cyrus surveys the area, trying to narrow the range of the aether flow. His search takes him to a shadowy puddle, from which a somewhat translucent gem can be seen emitting a white twinkle. He reaches for the gem, freeing it from its aquatic prison. After wiping the gem clean, he nods once in appraisal. "A quality cut; a shame we have to give it away. Amy would have loved to have this slotted into a pendant." He places the gem among the Guild's essentials, taking care to ensure it does not suffer damage. "The Sunstone won't emit any energy until morning, but let's continue our exploration regardless."

The others are in agreement, so the journey continues. They are unable to stray far before Valerie holds an arm out to silently advise a halt. Her eyes don a glow before a faint cloud of darkness surrounds her form. She grabs hold of her scythe and eases into a battle stance. "We got company." Just ahead a trio of monsters can be seen approaching; at the fore is a pair of Air Squirrels; supporting them from the rear line is a member of the boar species the party encountered in the trap on the floor below. This one, however, is healthy and uninjured. Assuming a defensive stance, she glances at Cyrus.

Resting his hand on the hilt of his katana, he eases into an offensive stance. "I'll get a read on the boar; Lissa, I leave defense to you." Glancing backwards, he directs his attention to Gwenivere and follows, "Soften up the Air Squirrels."

Her staff is already crackling with electric energy as she replies, "With pleasure."

With everyone's orders issued, Cyrus moves to act first. He disappears from sight, taking the squirrels by surprise. When he is visible again, he can be seen drawing his katana into a slash at a spot just underneath where the boar's left front leg connects to its body; with a deft curve of his hand, the edge of his blade strikes at a pressure point, causing the boar to lose consciousness on the spot. His katana is returned to its sheath with an audible click, which one of the squirrels takes as an opportunity to strike; its efforts, as well as the efforts of its comrade, are rendered worthless as Lissa deflects their advance with her shield. They are then zapped by a bolt of lightning.

Cyrus and Valerie work to finish off the squirrels while the remaining three unleash a volley of attacks upon the sleeping boar. Despite receiving direct hits from an arrow, a bullet, and a fireball, the creature only seems to be mildly offended. A cautious approach is taken to dispatch the creature with minimal damage sustained, though the offensive takes slightly longer than the party would have preferred. Once it falls, the party collects its spoils and moves forward.

A stone wall akin to that which barred the path to the third floor stands at a dead end. Noting the mechanism used to move the previous wall, Cyrus looks around in an effort to discern the location of the corresponding switch. He does not find one; "Curious. Be on the lookout, everyone; we'll have to deal with a switch puzzle on this floor." Pressing onward, the party is immediately met with another stone wall, though this time the corresponding switch is directly across from it. "That's…convenient."

The wall gives way to reveal a door, which leads to another clearing. Going by the map's dimensions, the party decides that the path straight ahead will most likely lead to a dead end, so they take it as the priority. Another wall bars access to whatever lies beyond, and there is no switch in sight. A short trek to the edge of this area, which lies on the western-most edge of the floor's southern region, reveals that there are two treasure chests beyond that stone wall. Gwenivere stares at the floating boxes, a look of displeasure gracing her once calm countenance. Though she says nothing, everyone present can feel the ire building within her, for they share in the sentiment.

Before turning back, Lissa directs everyone's attention to a dirty sign; approaching it allows the party to read the cautionary message sprawled across the wood. The accumulated grime makes the task more arduous than it should be, but from what can be deciphered, Clarisse says, "There's some kinda hunting trap nearby." Looking around yields nothing of note. "I don't see it, but let's not take the risk." She shrugs. "Besides, there's nothing left here anyway." The rest agree, leaving the party to backtrack to the previous clearing.

Left with no choice but to head north, the party ignores the next stone wall they encounter, as well as the door near it, in favor of taking this clearing's northwest exit. The route leads to a Chop Point, as well as an archway. The group works to procure several spiraling vines, though Cyrus endeavors to secure an old crooked tree with the rest of the party's haul. It is small in size, and is thus not terribly cumbersome to carry, but what makes it noteworthy is its incorporeal aura. Valerie can sense this as well, but the other three can only opt to take the duo at their word.

Just as the party steps under the archway, Cyrus calls for an immediate halt. Up ahead lies a pair of monsters – a Charging Boar and a Rabid Acorn. Just as Clarisse reaches for her bow, Cyrus asks her to wait for a moment longer. She abides, and soon learns why. The boar devours the acorn, and is promptly enveloped in a crimson aura. As it turns its head to scout the area, its once light blue eyes have turned yellow and manic. "Whoa. The Hell was in that acorn?"

"Let's wait until it leaves." This does not take long, to which the party sighs in relief. They thank Cyrus for his call and proceed. They elect to traverse a wooded path, though it quickly reaches a dead end. Just as they are about to turn back, Gwenivere directs her comrades' attention to a brush, from which chirping can be heard. From this brush emerges a lemur, the very same creature Hayato offered a fish to. Cyrus and Gwenivere crouch down to greet the creature in turn, and are met with an offering. A trio of familiar dark-red plants are offered, and accepted graciously.

As Cyrus stores these units of Skunk Cabbage in smell-neutralizing cloth, Gwenivere watches the lemur as it frolics back to the brush. "What a sweet gesture. 'Tis a pity Lord Hayato is not here with us."

Clarisse chuckles at this. "You guys are real softies." Lissa scoffs at this remark, passively reminding Clarisse of her penchant for spoiling Balto. She blushes at this, and becomes rather defensive. "Completely different circumstances."

Lissa's response is dismissive and non-committal; "Uh huh, keep telling yourself that." She then smirks and walks on ahead, not giving Clarisse the opportunity to retort. A stone wall lies ahead; curiously, its corresponding switch can be seen at the far end of a separate room just behind the party. Lissa scratches her head at this. "That seems…obtuse." The party proceeds down the western path, believing it will lead to that very room. It does not, instead leading the party to a dead end at the end of a long hall. The Erdboden trio senses a warm aetherial flow emanating from an unseen source, but is unable to locate said source.

Marking this location for later, the party deduces that this must be the location of the Sunstone. They head back the way they came, only to arrive at a sealed door. Cyrus points an accusatory finger at the door, donning an admonishing stare. "I don't like where this is going." The only remaining path to take lies beyond the door the Seekers elected to ignore before. With Lissa and Gwenivere mostly depleted of energy, Cyrus pulls a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket and transports the party back to Iorys.


	7. Rabbit and Crow

**Chapter 7: Rabbit and Crow**

The Guild returns to Jenetta's Inn a little after midnight. Gwenivere and Lissa retire to bed immediately, losing themselves to their exhaustion almost as quickly. Clarisse eventually decides upon a similar course of action, unwilling to walk the distance back to her proper home. Jenetta looks to find Cyrus and Valerie ready to step back out. "You're not heading back to the Labyrinth, are you?"

Cyrus shakes his head. "Just heading out for evening training; practicing the dark arts is rather difficult during the day hours."

"Oh, I see." She smiles, waving them farewell as she says, "Try not to do anything too shady out there." The two give her blank stares before opening their mouths to clarify. Jenetta's smile persists as she assures, "Just kidding~" She then turns around to walk to the kitchen, leaving the duo with no one to retort to. They take their leave, bested by the innkeeper and left thoroughly confused by her antics.

Their chosen practice ground is a spacious clearing located not too far away from the inn. Though there are not that many trees present, those that are sport thick canopies, keeping the clearing dim, save for the few streaks of moonlight cutting through what openings exist. Looking to Cyrus, a concerned expression forms on Valerie's face. "Chief, you sure about this?"

"Clarisse's idea is worth a shot."

She grabs hold of her scythe and takes a moment to focus, closing her eyes as she does so. Opening them, a familiar glow reappears as the Miasma Armor takes effect. "I'm getting the hang of this." She plants a foot forward to brace herself as a tinge of pain tugs at her chest. Clenching it, she takes a few moments to breathe. "Why does this Skill take so much of my life force to cast?"

"It's like the reverse of Berserker Vow, a Skill used by Gladiators in Armoroad. As you grow accustomed to triggering the Miasma Armor, it'll drain you far less. You'll reap superior gains from it in turn."

"I appreciate you never calling for the manual use of this; I'm surprised the auto trigger doesn't hurt me at all."

"We have no need for it in standard combat since you haven't practiced the ailing Skills yet." He nods to himself before following, "That aside, I could never order you to harm yourself in such a manner. This Class takes awhile to get going, Valerie, but we won't rush it."

"Did you know I gain a speed boost while this armor is active? I'm not used to such agility." Glancing at what remains of his left arm, she says, "Anyway, I'm ready when you are, Chief." Upon seeing him nod, she closes her eyes to focus on expanding the reach of the umbral shroud blanketing the area. As the darkness settles around Cyrus, he can feel his power growing. He grabs hold of what remains of his left arm before holding his limb towards the sky. A moment passes, and then the cloud of darkness congregates to become a left arm comprised of dark magic.

He tests the usability of this arm, clenching his fist and performing a few rotations. He takes in a deep breath and exhales, relieved that this experiment didn't have some sort of unexpected failure. "That…actually worked."

"What did you think was going to happen?"

"I was worried I'd transform into a Behemoth or a shade with no will of my own."

Resting her scythe upon her shoulder, her expression shifts to one of mild worry. "So I guess you can only use that arm while my Miasma Armor is active."

"It would appear so, yes; we'll have to refrain from using this for awhile, I surmise." He disperses the arm, returning his limb to its previous state. "This cursory test will suffice; let's head back and turn in."

Valerie lets out a loud yawn at this; "Sounds good to me." As Cyrus begins to walk off, she calls for a halt. "What gives, Chief? Aren't you going to carry me back?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Ugh, rude! And after I harmed myself using Miasma Armor for you!" Cyrus can only sigh at this. He crouches down, signaling for Valerie to rest upon his back. Resting her cheek upon him, she giggles to herself. "I appreciate it, Chief; you're the best." He mutters something about spoiling Valerie just as much, to which his apprentice begins humming a tune to herself.

When morning comes, the second squad takes its leave immediately after breakfast is consumed. The party returns to the third floor, intent on making a beeline to the location of the Sunstone. Amy takes a moment to stretch as she takes in the sun's rays and the fresh air. "So there are a bunch of boars up here?" Cyrus nods, explaining their preference for charging attacks. "Sounds like I'll have to take out their legs."

As the group arrives at the Chop Point they discovered last night, a pair of creatures steps forth to meet them in battle. One is a Myconid; the other is an orange and gray turtle. The turtle is settled into an offensive stance. Cyrus frowns at this, clicking his tongue in frustration. "That turtle has a fire-based Conditional Drop." He sighs. "And yet we didn't encounter this enemy at any point while Lady Gwenivere was with us." He eases into his stance, setting his sights on the Myconid. "Sister, bind the turtle's legs." The encounter is simple, though it lasts for longer than the party would prefer as a result of the turtle repeatedly bolstering its defenses.

The Seekers arrive at the Sunstone location with little trouble after this, and eventually find the stone in question hidden among a pile of smaller stones. After securing the stone in a safe means of containment, the party returns to the adventure. The door left unopened stands before them now; as Amy motions to open it, she stops, a look of focus fixing upon her countenance. "I think there's an FOE in here." The party steels itself for the upcoming encounter, and soon, Amy is given the call to open the door.

Inside is an interior featuring many bodies of water that limit the traversable landscape. On the right-most edge of this room stands the FOE Amy previously sensed. The creature is a large bipedal green owl with yellow chest feathers. Its wings have evolved to serve an additional function as arms. Elongated black claws extend as fingers, their black sheen glistening in the morning sunlight. The creature is currently practicing its combat stance, readying itself as a professional wrestler would; an occasional practice punch is thrown, followed shortly by an assumed defensive posture. The scent of bestial musk hangs in the air, cementing this area as the owl's personal ground. A distinct aura hangs upon the area as well, one that Lissa notes as primal rage.

Valerie shakes her head at the sight. "Why would an owl need to punch things?" A moment of silence befalls the group before she follows, "Damn, that's a big owl; it's built like a bear." Instead of taking a step forward, the owl displays its ability to fly, which causes the group's eyes to widen. Unlike the caterpillars below, this owl is highly aggressive, and seeks to be rid of its intruders. "We need to run." The Guild motions to act on this note; everyone follows the only other path available to them, which lies to the west.

The owl is easy to out-maneuver; its area is but a simple stretch of land with water surrounding it. The creature is unable to fly over the distance formed by the large pond in the ring's center, allowing the party access to the exit where it once stood. Clarisse looks back to the now closed door. Pointing at it, she asks, "How much do you wanna bet the best Pugilist Knuckles are going to come from that thing?"

Lissa groans at this. "It's gonna suck. They'll only be the best for this first Stratum, though." She shrugs and then looks to Amy. "Amy doesn't really need those weapons either." As the party presses forward, Cyrus and Lissa search for shortcuts; despite having covered much ground, they have yet to find one. A groan escapes Lissa as she says, "Something tells me that our shortcuts will come from finding a way to raise those other stone walls." Rounding a corner, she arrives at a dead end and hears a loud impact, causing her and her allies to freeze in place. Her voice sinks to a whisper; "Should we investigate?" Clarisse and Amy nod in affirmation, though Valerie remains neutral. The party ultimately decides to carry out the search.

The party searches the gaps between trees, as well as the nearby waters, but finds nothing. Cyrus and Lissa peek through a bush to find the corpse of a wild boar. Just ahead of it is a large boulder with blood splattered upon it. The two wince at this, arriving at the conclusion that the boar must have been charging wildly before ending its own life as a result of the impact. The corpse is still fresh, so the party elects to make something of this misfortune by procuring materials from the boar. Cyrus and Amy offer a prayer for the fallen creature before continuing on with the adventure.

The next area is a great expanse featuring five doors, not counting the one the party used to enter it. The party scopes out the room, looking to glean what information it can before making a proper decision; of the two doors that lead further east, the bottom option houses an FOE, suggesting that the path of progress may very well lie beyond it. Cyrus notes that the map has revealed at least one more FOE lurking in wait beyond the northern door. He points to the pair of southern doors before saying, "All three of these choices will likely lead to us finding the switches needed to clear our path of those stone walls."

Clarisse nods to this and suggests, "We should try the southern doors first; the switch for those two treasure chests at the southwestern edge of the floor could be there." As she turns around, she notes that Valerie's eyes have started glowing, signaling the automatic trigger of her Miasma Armor. "Shit, we got company."

Two Forest Turtles emerge from the waters; three Ropers emerge from the thicket beyond. Drawing her scythe, Valerie clicks her tongue in frustration. "We're not gonna be able to deal with those turtles before those Ropers fuse into a bigger tree." She looks to Cyrus, adopting her offensive stance. "What's the plan, Chief?"

He grabs hold of his left arm and channels the darkness to grant himself temporary use of his shadowy limb. Taking hold of his katana, he crouches low as he prepares to charge at the enemy. "We're on the defensive; Lissa, set up a Bunker!" He glances around to find a few tree trunks and boulders that can be used as cover. "The rest of you need to establish a vantage point; let them come to you."

The Ropers use the defense provided by the turtles to fuse immediately, turning into a purple Roper with enhanced vines. Though pink and akin to hooks before, the creature that stands before the party now wields white-spotted black claws that are much larger in size. Rather than following through with his intended charge, Cyrus instead rises to his feet and strafes to the side. In doing so, he has gained a clear shot at the Roper, unimpeded by the turtles. The Colossal Roper flails its vines at the front line, managing to land a clean blow to Amy's stomach. Cyrus dodges the vine aimed for his head by crouching; he then follows up with a drawing slash that sends a blade of visible wind flying at the creature.

With a defensive bunker now in place, Lissa readies her shield in order to aid the front line. Cyrus sheathes his katana and looks to Amy; she nods to him, assenting to his unspoken plan. The two intend to focus their efforts on the Roper in hopes of either putting it to sleep or binding its vines to its body. Both fail; Cyrus is unable to connect his blade with any pressure points this creature may have, and Amy's punch is dodged entirely. For their efforts, the party is faced with a multitude of vines that burst from the ground and grab hold of their legs. Though they are still capable of movement, escape will prove impossible, as will proper evasion of incoming attacks.

The defensive bunker proves to be incredibly useful, as the turtles waste much of their time trying to destroy it. All of Amy's efforts to disable the Roper's vines are met with failure, though eventually she delivers one last punch that ends the creature's life outright. The turtles fall soon after, unable to put up a significant struggle. The party sheathes their weapons, and Cyrus' left arm returns to its natural state. He takes a seat on a nearby boulder, and tries to catch his breath. Amy takes a seat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "That sucked." Everyone agrees.

Once the party has collected itself, Lissa looks to Cyrus and asks about the arm he created, which prompts him to explain his new option. "Why didn't you tell us about this during breakfast?"

"I didn't think I was going to make use of it so soon." He rises from his seat, as does Amy. "Alright, southern door it is. I'd prefer to establish a shortcut and then depart." They take the southern door closest to the right border of the area, but turn back upon seeing how far it leads further in. The other southern door opens to another Chop Point, but before anyone can approach it, the party is beset by a quartet of enemies – two Myconid and two Ice Bats; one of the Myconid is a Rare Breed. "Well piss in a hand basket." A groan escapes him as he rests his hand on his katana. "Last battle, team; let's go!"

Having learned from prior encounters, Cyrus and Valerie make the superior call and make use of a Union Skill to dispatch the Rare Breed before it can actually move. The rest of the encounter is handled shortly thereafter, and is of no particular note. After flipping the switch to drop the wall, the group lets out a collective sigh of relief before warping back to Iorys. The next destination is the Twilight Tavern, where a Celestrian scholar patiently awaits the party at a table whilst sipping from a cup of coffee.

His expression brightens upon seeing the Seekers, brightening further when they present the Sunstone and Moonstone to him. Thadius takes the stones into his hands to study them. "Such beautiful cuts; seeing them now, it's no wonder they are rumored to promise eternal happiness." Amy's attention is caught by his musings, causing her to ask about this rumor. "Ah, among my people, there is a legend about these gems. It's a rather simple one – 'If you craft a wedding band from a Sunstone and Moonstone, bliss shall be forever yours.' Or so they say."

Cyrus says, "Jewelers like me often hear of such rumors." He scratches at his cheek, momentarily looking away in embarrassment. "Truth be told, I hold fast to my own superstitions when it comes to these sorts of things."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. My old man often told me that, if I ever took up the profession of gold smithing, I would forever be bound to the task of crafting any and all accessories I intend to gift my beloved. I even set out to find my own base materials."

Lissa snickers at this, crossing her arms as Thadius directs his attention at her. "He seeks some of the most fabled gems of his world. He's proposing to me after he finds some sort of legendary sapphire; I can only imagine what he went through for his other wives." Looking to Thadius, she follows, "You be sure to remind your betrothed of how much you care. That wedding band you're gonna make is gonna go a long way every time she looks at it, but nothing beats a personal reminder."

"I shall keep that in mind, thank you." He rises from his chair to shake everyone's hand. "Thank you all for this favor; I'd be thrilled to have you attend the wedding; I'll leave the date with Mirina, as well as your reward." Thadius then takes his leave, bidding the Seekers farewell. Their reward for this consists of three bottles of Medica II.

Handing over the bottles, Mirina muses on the notion of crafting her own accessories. Cyrus chuckles at this. "You're quite decorated as it is, Matron, or do you perhaps intend to get married?"

"My, my, Cyrus – is that a proposal?"

"Your beauty is certainly tempting, but I wouldn't even know where to begin. Pretty sure your other patrons would be none too pleased if you accepted. Oh, and that is to say nothing of your cooking; I know my own way around a kitchen, but I can see myself happily taking a backseat to let you work instead."

"Chief, aren't your seven lovers enough?"

"I believe that's a question you'll have to ask Lady Gwenivere."

"Ugh, pass; I already know how she'd answer."

Mirina laughs at this. "What a busy life you must lead; I do hope you're taking good care of the women in your life." A second glance at the party reveals their exhaustion, particularly Cyrus and Lissa. Mirina frowns at this. "Did you all have a bad run-in at Yggdrasil?" They recount the battle against the Colossal Roper, to which she shakes her head. "Even from the back row, that creature hits hard; I recommend slaying at least one of the regular Ropers to prevent the fusion."

Amy agrees to this, giving a single nod as she says, "Two regular Ropers wouldn't be nearly as threatening." She sighs, a pout forming on her lips. "We tried to get the Conditional Drop, too, but I just couldn't seal the thing's appendages."

"You'll improve, given time, but I suggest you all get some rest at the inn."

The party is in full agreement with this, and bids Mirina farewell before departing from the Twilight Tavern. Their materials are sold to Syrik, but no purchases are made. Stepping into the inn, Jenetta offers her usual cheerful greeting. "Goodness, you all look really tired." She ushers everyone to take a seat, leaving no room for argument, and then sets the table before them. "You know what'll cheer you up and bring your energy back? Cake~"

It is at this moment that Gwenivere steps in from the kitchen armed with two serving trays; one holds a double-layered chocolate cake while the other holds a red velvet cake frosted with vanilla icing. Gwenivere gracefully approaches the table and sets the trays onto it. She motions into a twirl to show off her pink apron, which elicits stifled snickers from both Amy and Valerie. Gwenivere then strikes a pose beside Jenetta, calling for the guests to commence their feast. Cyrus is the slowest to act, lingering as soon as he lifts his fork.

Gwenivere steps over to him and starts massaging his shoulders. "A difficult encounter, I take it." Cyrus sighs in reply, and then works to recount the battle with the rest of his team. "Hm, I believe it would be best if our Chain team handled the rest of this floor. Your need for the elements is concerning, though…" she falls silent in her hesitation. "I wonder if Cyrus' tanking methods will be enough." She suddenly finds herself being ushered to a seat beside Cyrus. Looking up, she sees Jenetta smiling down on her. "Is something amiss?"

"Don't worry about the Labyrinth right now; there's cake to be eaten! Let those worries fade~"

Jenetta ultimately forces the Seekers to relax until 7PM. Cyrus heeds Gwenivere's suggestion and returns to the 3rd floor with the Chain team in tow. The party immediately makes way for the now accessible door leading to the eastern half of the floor. The room with the Chop Point is passed; the party elects to travel down the path beyond the remaining southern door. This path is revealed to not have led nearly as far in as Cyrus originally assumed, and instead ends fairly quickly at an idyllic clearing surrounded by water.

The clearing is but a small portion of a much wider expanse, and thus entertains the notion of having no trees present to bar viewing of the sky above. Moonlight shines down upon the area unimpeded, granting everything in the vicinity a gentle hue. In the area's center is a tin pan resting above a small campfire. Tending to this pot is Jenetta, whose cheery expression prevails even within the dangerous interior of Yggdrasil. Her eyes are still closed, but the party finds a far more pressing issue at hand.

"Hello, everyone~" She takes but a single glance at their expressions to understand their confusion. Regardless, she feigns ignorance, and tilts her head inquisitively. "Is there something wrong? You don't look injured."

Fiona looks to her party before deciding to act as its collective voice. "How did you get here before us? We made our way here straight from your inn – we watched as you waved goodbye."

Cyrus offers an explanation, though it is presented in such a way that shows it's more for personal peace of mind than it is for coming to Jenetta's defense. "People who keep their eyes closed all the time are in a different league compared to the rest of us." He nods, fully convinced by his own words. "Jenetta is a being of incomprehensible stature."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you to say, Cyrus, but really, I just took a shortcut."

Fiona is quick to point out, "What shortcut? There's only one way in and out of this room. Actually, what are you cooking?"

"I'm glad you asked, Fiona! I'm baking my own bread," she smirks, "well, at least I'm t-rye-ing to. Heh." Her smile suggests that she's quite proud of her pun, as does the pose she strikes as she places her hands on her hips. Cyrus, Fae, and Gwenivere can't help but snicker at it, while Fiona and Hayato groan. "And before you ask, my sisters are watching the inn right now; it's the yeast they could do while I'm baking." Pointing to the pot, she continues, "Yggdrasil offers tasty ingredients; my cooking will sell like hotcakes, and pretty soon we'll be rolling in dough. That's why I've been working my buns off learning how to bake."

Gwenivere, retaining her composure amidst the wave of puns, gives an absent-minded statement that serves as a pun in its own right; "They're certainly impressive buns, I must admit." She doesn't realize she said this aloud until she notices that Cyrus and Fiona are shooting dubious glances at her. "It's not as if I'm not stating a fact…" She waves a hand at the two, dismissing them entirely. "Am I to assume that you intend to rise to the top of the baking world, my dear Jenetta?" Fiona groans again, physically distraught by Gwenivere's pun.

"That would certainly be nice, Lady Gwenivere; how about a partnership? If you bring me any ingredients I may knead, I can bake some extra-special loaves for you. Oh, I could also go for some Forest Honey…I'm kinda tired of eating carbs." Fae responds by handing the woman two grilled fish. "Aw, thank you, Fae; I love fish!" She takes a single bite of her new meal, letting out a pleased moan before she starts humming a tune to herself. From a bag, she procures two fruit cakes, which are handed over to the party.

Fae giggles at this, having gotten to make Jenetta happy and receive cake in turn. Cyrus shrugs, and offers two servings of roasted meat. Jenetta's mouth waters at the sight before her eyes shift back to the one offering the meal, silently asking for confirmation. Cyrus can only smile as he extends his hand a bit further. "You've been good to us, Jenetta; one good deed deserves another in turn." She silently hands him two loaves of white bread in return, which causes his face to shift to one of elation. "Oh, shit; I love white bread!" Everyone is taken aback by this, and looks to him with widened eyes – save for Jenetta, whose eyes remain closed even still. "I am terribly sorry for that outburst." He looks to Fae and crouches down; "Little Fae, please don't repeat the bad word I just said; it is much too early for you to add profanity to your vocabulary."

"OK, Cyrus." She nods to reaffirm her consent, smiling at him all the while. He pats her on the head, to which she giggles. A thought occurs to her, causing her attention to turn towards Jenetta. "Wait, we never asked what ingredients you needed."

"Forest Berries and Forest Wheat." The party exchanges a silent glance before offering Jenetta every instance of the ingredients they have among their belongings. Pleased to have quality ingredients to work with, she sets out to her task immediately. A small mill is used to grind the grains; the innkeeper also takes to skillfully kneading in the flour by hand. She sets her pan over the small fire, and then carefully places the dough on it to cook. A short time passes, and soon a perfect loaf is formed. She giggles to herself. "I must be butter, because I'm on a roll~"

Fiona refrains from groaning, but making eye contact with Hayato confirms that his mind is sharing the same thought as hers – ' _These puns will be the death of me._ '

After a few moments of waiting, Jenetta cuts the bread, adds some choice fruits alongside the berries, and then tops the entire set with some whipped cream. The fruit cake is divided into six slices, each one large enough to fill a small plate on its own. Most of the Seekers have donned impressed expressions upon their countenances, but Fae in particular looks quite eager to taste the dish. She is sorely disappointed when Cyrus and Fiona work together to secure every serving individually in plastic wrapping before placing it with the rest of the party's rations.

Looking to Jenetta, Gwenivere smiles. "I know I offered a chef position at the palace, but I would like to rescind this and offer you a title of nobility." Jenetta tilts her head at this, surprised, but not at all sure as to how she should react. "You're such a ray of sunshine, and your cooking is divine. Why, with you around, everyday would be positive, no matter how gloomy." Resting her hands on her hips, she follows, "That is why I would take you as my wife instead."

"Huh? But aren't you royalty? Wouldn't it be a problem to marry beneath your station? Wouldn't it also cause problems to marry someone of the same gender?"

"Having my station affords me the distinction of acting as I please." She locks her arm in Cyrus' and pulls him closer. Still looking to Jenetta, she continues, "Many of the nobles were against my desire to marry Cyrus because he's a commoner, and have opposed me ever since I stated that desire when we were 10. Many still opposed my wish to marry Amy's sister for similar reasons, but also because they frowned upon the 'lack of benefits' that would result from our same-sex relationship." She lets out a haughty chuckle, her expression becoming quite smug as she says, "Those who cannot properly enforce their ideals over my own are worth less than the dirt beneath my boot, and shall be paid no heed in turn." She pauses for a moment, taking the time to plant a kiss upon Cyrus' cheek. "I live as I please, and protect those precious to me as an Overlord should. Those who get in my way will be eradicated like the vermin they are."

The others stand stunned by Gwenivere's statements, save for Fae, who quickly comments, "I take it back. Gwen is scarier than Mommy."

Looking to Cyrus, Jenetta says, "You certainly picked a feisty one, Cyrus."

"You don't know the half of it; did you know the harem was her idea?"

Gwenivere scoffs at this. "He was against the idea at first, giving me some nonsense about how he's unworthy of even one heart, let alone multiples." She sighs, shaking her head in disappointment. "Honestly, I must remember to properly reward Lissa for setting his mind straight."

"You have so much faith in him; I'm impressed~"

"But of course. He proved himself through all of his struggles. The only other person I've ever known who has experienced comparable strife is my beloved aunt, the present Overlord."

Fae derails the conversation, a question pressing at the forefront of her mind. "Wait a minute…if Ms. Jenetta marries Gwen, does that mean she marries Cyrus, too?"

Gwenivere nods, smiling as she says, "If Jenetta fancies my husband, then she's welcome to court him if he's also interested." She glances over at Fiona, smirking as she follows, "That notion extends to you as well, Dame Fiona."

"I…appreciate it, but Cyrus and I don't have such feelings for each other." She looks to the man in question, her expression shifting to one of bewilderment. "Seriously, Cyrus; how do you do it?"

"They see something in me; I'm still trying to figure things out since all of them see something different. At any rate, Fiona and I are certainly more than comrades, but we're not lovers."

Hayato raises a finger, a hesitant expression upon his face as he asks, "So you two are friends with be-" Cyrus and Fiona immediately denounce this in unison. Their statements are firm, with no semblance of embarrassment or duplicity present; Hayato lowers his finger and nods. "Alright then."

Cyrus chuckles as he shoots a smirk at Fiona. "I'd probably put a ring on it, though."

"Knowing the kind of rings you make, I'd probably accept it, too."

Fae giggles. "You two are hopeless." Everyone laughs at this, albeit for different reasons. Eventually, they part ways with Jenetta, who claims she'll be heading back to the inn after a few more loaves of bread are finished. The party is left to return to the grand atrium housing the remaining three doors they have yet to take. Seeing the selection, Fae points to the bottom option of the two doors leading east; "We should take that one first." Stepping inside alerts the owl FOE inside; it becomes readily apparent that there is no way to move past this creature from this vantage. "Whoa! Uh…fall back!" The door just above their previous choice is silently chosen instead.

As the party continues through the smaller passes, Hayato points out a worn-out bag dangling from the branch of an old tree. Cyrus and Gwenivere both surmise that either of them could reach the bag, but would be met with the trouble presented by one of its straps being caught on the tree. Gwenivere soon shrugs. "I'll recover the item." She reaches up to brush some stray branches and leaves to the side. A mere moment passes before she lets out a sharp yell and swiftly pulls her hand back. She jumps back, nursing her hand but not taking her sights off the branch.

Fiona carefully pulls on the branch to reveal that the leaves around the strap are infested with green larvae, all of which are currently writhing. Upon closer observation, she says, "These…must be larvae of the caterpillar FOE." She looks back to her comrade to find that Gwenivere's hand is now swollen. "Ooh, you gonna be alright, Milady?"

Gwenivere merely blows on her hand to dull the pain using ice magic. She then takes up her previous endeavor as she begins flicking the larvae away from the bag. "I will not be bested by a mere caterpillar." Her efforts eventually yield the contents of the bag – a silver coin. She rotates the coin in her grip for a moment before saying, "This must be Celestial Silver; I heard a few of Mirina's patrons discussing economics, specifically the relative value of this coin. A nice find inde- ow." The sting of her hand returns. Before she can use her magic again, she finds that Cyrus is holding a bottle of Medica before her. She nods and presents her hand to him, allowing him to empty the contents of the bottle, which quickly relieves her of the pain and the swelling. "Thanks, darling."

"My pleasure, Milady; please exercise caution in the future." She nods to him, but says nothing further. Just ahead is a switch corresponding to a raised door; Cyrus looks to the map he's been working to draw and points out that, "This switch must connect to the raised wall at the edge of C4." Looking to the path ahead, he is greeted by a dead end that houses a fishing spot, as well as a treasure chest the party cannot reach. He looks to the map again. "Hm, it would appear that we must backtrack all the way to that very door." After drawing the remainder of what he can see, as well as catching a fish, he leads his party to depart from this area.


	8. What Lurks behind the Trees

**Chapter 8: What Lurks behind the Trees**

Instead of warping out using an Ariadne Thread, the party elects to walk to their new destination from this dead end. Just as Fiona takes to the fore at Cyrus' side, she is suddenly knocked onto her rear by a Rare Breed Forest Turtle. "What the Hell?" Looking up reveals that the party's only escape route is currently blocked by a second turtle and a Colossal Roper. Rising to her feet, she draws her rapier. "We've been ambushed!"

Cyrus immediately calls for Fiona to hold a defensive line with him while Gwenivere and Hayato establish the party's buffs. With its work complete, the Rare Breed makes its escape, speeding off into the forest beyond; the ground it manages to cover in this unexpected burst grants it more than enough of a head start to escape without fear of being captured. Fae throws a Poison Smoke Bomb, which proves to be effective against the remaining turtle. The Colossal Roper uses the party's need to recuperate as an opportunity to bind everyone's legs, though it misses Cyrus. "Fiona, maintain your defensive position; I'll press the attack."

His call proves to be the correct one, for the Roper thrashes its vines wildly, managing to strike Fiona twice. Cyrus can only click his tongue in frustration, knowing that Fiona might have been spared those strikes had his use of Optic Thrust actually disabled the Roper. Having established both Aegis and Ruinous Prayer, Hayato grabs hold of an orange card that he's yet to use in combat before. He tosses it to the sky, causing it to disperse. He and his allies suddenly have their weapons wreathed in fire, and sport an orange translucent veil that covers them. "When the turtle succumbs, we'll give the Roper everything we have! Everyone can support Fiona with a fire attack!"

Cyrus's second use of Optic Thrust succeeds in blinding the target; the notion is made more convenient by the Roper wasting its moment attempting to bind Cyrus' legs alongside the rest of his party. He looks to Fiona to find that her legs are still bound. "Chain Skills don't work if the user's legs are hampered; Fae, heal Lord Hayato instead of attacking!"

"G- Got it!"

' _Steady, Cyrus; watch the flow of its movements and draw its attacks to you._ ' He finds that the white aura signifying Union Skill use has flashed from his form. He nods, not needing to check who is responsible. ' _I trust your judgment, Fiona; let's do this._ ' The two unleash a Double Attack, stabbing both of their flaming blades into the target. Though it is screeches in pain, it holds firm long enough to lash out its vines once again. Having predicted this, Cyrus lingers on his offense for longer than Fiona; he wiggles his blade within the creature's new wound, generating pain that forces it to focus all of its swings in his direction. He successfully directs all of the attention to himself, sparing his allies any further injury and dodging the strikes in turn. The Colossal Roper is reward with an additional stab wound.

The rest of the party's offense ends the life of their final opponent, granting them their victory. Cyrus breathes a sigh of relief as he sheathes his sword. Looking to his right, he can see that Fiona is approaching. "You made the right calls back there, Cyrus; thank you. Had I not maintained my defense, I would have surely fallen to that sweeping slash. We don't have the luxury of casually wasting the four bottles of Nectar we have, so I'm glad you recognized that."

"Surely you jest. Those bottles hadn't occurred to me at all; I was only worried about you suffering harm as a result of my failure. When I think of the times you saved me back in Armoroad, I can't help but feel I need to rise to the occasion now that our roles are reversed."

She flicks his nose, resting that same hand on her hip as she says, "Oh hush and take your compliment."

Having taken to holding his nose, he replies with a cry of discomfort. "Augh, damn it, woman!" He spends a moment nursing his nose, which has actually turned slightly red. "If you're going to return to doing this, you could at least do it gently as you did in Armoroad."

"Hm? Oh, I was only holding back in Armoroad because we weren't really friends at the time; I didn't want to be rude." She shrugs, shooting a sincere smile at him as she follows, "Now that we're fairly close, I can be as rude as I wish."

"You…you what, mate?" His confusion is answered by Fiona's laughter. She wraps an arm around his distant shoulder and starts leading him away from the area, commenting that the two of them are supposed to take point. "What? No, hold a moment; what you said doesn't make any sense." She ignores him as the backtracking resumes.

The party returns to the grand atrium to take the only door that remains. They immediately return through the very entrance they used upon realizing that the owl FOE guarding this room is, much like the one to the east, so close to the entrance that outmaneuvering it is impossible. Hayato shrugs at this, resting his hands behind his head. "I figured that would happen; I imagine the door in C4 we just unlocked is our only means of progression now."

Voicing her own assent to this, Gwenivere adds, "One must also take the switch located in the bottom-left edge of C7 into account. There is no other way for us to bypass the other owl without using that northern door."

Fae frowns at this. "That's a lot of work." Pointing at the map, she directs her allies' attention to other areas that have been marked by stone walls. There are four such wall markers in place, as well as one marked switch in B7 that the party likely won't be able to reach until the sealed door of this floor can be unlocked. "We still need to find the switches for these, too, right?" Looking at Fiona, she follows, "Fiona must be itching to get those treasure chests…"

"I most certainly am; I bet their contents are well worth the trouble, too."

Having arrived at the door unlocked by the switch on the eastern edge of this floor, the party steels itself in preparation for the upcoming sprint. Opening the door places them near the top edge of this expanse and alerts the owl to their presence. Cyrus steps into proper view to bait the owl into taking a longer route before joining his allies in their sprint. Along the way, Fiona makes a beeline for the treasure chest in this room; she procures a bottle of medicine that she doesn't bother to check since the owl is drawing dangerously near. Despite this risky venture, the party escapes through the eastern exit of this room.

Cyrus checks the bottle held within Fiona's grip to find that, "Ah, it's a bottle of Hamao; this will restore both health and energy." He receives the bottle from Fiona and hands it to Hayato for safe-keeping. "Of the members of this particular party, you need the TP restoratives more than the rest of us, Lord Hayato."

"I'd argue that our tank needs them more."

"Even if I fall in combat, the rest of you could outpace the enemy and achieve victory; in that sense, keeping you standing is more important." He flips the switch to raise the stone wall across the pond; his expression soon scrunches into a frown as he turns his sights back to the door leading back to the owl.

Seeing this, Fae asks, "W- What's wrong, Cyrus? Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"W- We have to go back in that room."

Hayato's face shifts to match that of Cyrus. "There aren't any shortcuts leading out of here."

Gwenivere points at the map, showing that the FOE is incredibly close to the door. "One mistake and we are forced to engage…"

Fiona and Cyrus look to each other, having a silent conversation for but a moment before the former asks, "Bank on horizontal preference?"

"Bank on horizontal preference." Upon being asked by Gwenivere for an explanation, he gestures dramatically, flourishing his shoulder cape. "In due time, my beauteous liege." He then hands her one of the party's Ariadne Threads. "If I make the call, use this without hesitation." The party steps into the room once more and immediately makes south. The owl, in response, moves east towards the door, rather than taking the most optimal route to cut off its prey. Fiona and Cyrus exchange a high-five as the party continues running. In unison, they sing, "Horizontal preference, baby~"

Upon returning to the door they just unlocked at D7, Gwenivere lets out a sigh of relief and takes a seat upon a rock. Fae sits upon her lap, her own weariness beginning to catch up with her. "May I have that explanation now?"

Fiona nods and steps forward. "Most FOEs are similar in that they are reactive when it comes to pursuing explorers. Take that owl for example – it rushed at us while we were at the door instead of limiting our escape options. We call this phenomenon 'Horizontal Preference', and use it as a means to note FOEs that can be easily manipulated if approached from the west or the east."

"How interesting, and you say not all FOEs are like that?"

"They are not; some FOEs act differently, even if they're aggressive by nature."

Cyrus adds, "You learn to distinguish them as you progress through Yggdrasil; observational skills are key." He walks over and crouches down to address Fae. "Should we call it here, Fae? I imagine you're tired since it's almost midnight." She tries to give a negative response, but can only yawn before wiping her eyes. She looks down in shame, certain that Cyrus is going to call the investigation off because of her. "Now, now, little one; do you remember what I said about understanding your limit?"

She nods, replying, "You said there's no shame…aren't we at the end, though? It'd be a waste to use our thread, right?"

He sighs at this. "Fae, the well-being of my comrades is more important than 100en. I'd sooner put in the work needed to make up for losing the Ariadne Thread than I would run the risk of putting you and the others in danger. Being optimal isn't worth sacrificing you or anyone else here."

She falls silent at this, unable to look at him or the rest of the party as she tries to decide on what she wants to do. She thinks back to the warnings Cyrus gave when she first tried to join the Seekers. ' _Being an important Guild means giving up on important things like sleep…but it's to help people, right?_ ' She looks Cyrus again, noting the gentle concern in his eyes. A soft smile rests upon his face; it eases the child's concerns as she thinks on the matter further. She eventually rises to her feet, bringing both of her tiny fists close to her chest as a look of resolution forms her countenance. Though she stumbles, her message is presented quite clearly. "I- I'm not tired; I'm gonna explore the heck out of this place!"

Cyrus simply nods to this, patting the girl on the head before rising to his feet. To her surprise, he doesn't ask of her level of certainty. Instead, he places his hand on the door leading into the room harboring what he assumes must be the last owl FOE the party must avoid. Without looking to his comrades, he asks, "Is everyone prepared?" No one responds vocally, instead rising to his call by taking a single step towards him. "Then let us begin."

The final owl proves to be much of the same as the one before it. Cyrus baits the creature into advancing towards the party before motioning over to the eastern side of the room. En route to the door, another switch is found and pushed; despite the effort, the owl doesn't have nearly enough time to catch up with the party, allowing them to proceed through the exit on the southern side of the room. Fiona gives a shrug of the shoulder. "That one was rather simple." She then walks over to the switch located in this new room and pushes it. "That should do it for the treasure chest duo."

Hayato points to the southern-most edge of the room. "Don't these trees look awfully suspicious?" True to his claim, two trees are set equidistantly from each other, a notion made all the more glaring by the rays of moonlight seemingly placing the two in the spotlight. "I think these were planted by hand."

To their surprise, Conrad, the leader of the Freeblade Guild, arrives to explain the significance of this place. "Long ago, this area was meant to be built up as an olive grove. Olives are perfect for eating and cooking, and even help add a little flavor to liquor."

Gwenivere folds her arms, electing to pick up his thread. "Alas, I imagine those who planted this grove didn't realize just how much monsters enjoy olives in turn."

Conrad can only nod to this. "Indeed, but I've got an idea, if you're willing to work with me on it." The Seekers look at him expectantly, giving him the agency to elaborate on his plan. "It's quite simple; I'll act as a decoy while you pick all the olives you can carry. I am a Fencer, after all; evasion is my job."

Cyrus shakes his head to this, much to Conrad's surprise. Before an inquiry can be made, Cyrus says, "Let us serve as the distraction; though we are tired, we are many – the distraction we cause will be of a much larger scale." The expression he wears suggests that there is no room for argument, leaving Conrad to only nod. After rolling his neck, Cyrus draws his blade and stabs it into the ground. "Seekers, prepare for combat."

The enemies that emerge to face the party are two Ice Bats flanking either side of a Charging Boar. The party is just happy that the boar doesn't have any Rabid Acorns to eat. Fiona and Gwenivere work to quickly dispatch one of the bats, leaving Hayato to setup Aegis Prayer while Fae and Cyrus try to keep the remaining two enemies occupied. Fae's smoke bomb fails to blind either of the remaining enemies, but Cyrus goads both into attacking him regardless. In a risky maneuver, Gwenivere sneaks up to the front line in order to cast a spell that increases the elemental damage of her, Cyrus, and Fiona.

The boar has been blinded by Cyrus, and is thus unable to undertake the task of punishing the party's frail magic user. The Ice Bat, in turn, is killed by the efforts of Fiona and Hayato before it can do anything. The boar succumbs shortly thereafter. The Seekers breathe a sigh of relief and sheath their weapons. Conrad approaches, a grin upon his expression. "Excellent work out there. I wasn't able to watch the entire battle, but what glances I managed to steal were impressive." In addition to his praise, he offers the party a sizable load of ripe olives. "I appreciate the help, Seekers; let's team up again sometime."

Fae giggles at this and suggests, "You should bring your whole Guild next time." Conrad promises to try, and then hurries off to join the remainder of Freeblade. Just as she begins to yawn, Fae finds herself being lifted onto Cyrus' back. She rests her head, smiling softly before her exhaustion finally takes her. In recognition of Cyrus' voiceless direction, Gwenivere uses the Ariadne Thread to warp the Seekers back to Iorys. The party sells their procured materials to Syrik just before he closes up shop, and then retires at Jenetta's Inn for a deserved evening of slumber.

When morning comes, the party finds itself dining on fluffy omelets cooked by the innkeeper. Each member is served but a single omelet, though the individual servings take up the entirety of the plate and are akin to pancakes that have been inflated to be no less than 50% larger than usual. Curiously, the individual servings are somewhat unique, with Fae's dish sporting a fewer assortment of vegetables. Fae and Hayato can barely move once their meal is consumed; it takes all that they have just to pat their bellies and give Jenetta her due praise.

Cyrus and Fiona wish to ask for seconds, but know deep down that they'd only make it through half of the next serving before their stomachs simply ran out of capacity. They concede to this notion, and likewise offer their praise to the innkeeper. "I'm in a good mood after yesterday, and the egg haul was bigger than expected. You know the old Therian saying – Treat yourself~" She pauses, needing a brief moment to reflect on her words. "I suppose in this case I'm technically treating others, but don't sweat the small stuff."

A short time is spent sharing with Jenetta the exploits of the Guild after they parted ways last night. A notable highlight is the group's rematch with the Enemy Set that left them thoroughly exhausted in the original encounter. Cyrus, having been the only Guild member to have faced this set twice, says, "Milady's suggestion to swap over to an element-focused party was quite on point. The fight started as an ambush, and with a Rare Breed no less, so it wasn't easy, but we certainly handled it more readily than before."

"It's good to hear that you've found your bearings. What's next?"

Fiona replies, "After our Gathering Runs are complete, we're going to finish off the rest of the third floor. If time permits, we're handling that secret area of the second floor as well." She frowns as her eyes momentarily shift their attention to the rapier resting at the side of her chair. "We still need a lot of Conical Canines to finish upgrading our weapons."

Fae attempts to speak up, though her stumbling makes it clear she's nervous about something. "U- Um…" After being reassured by both Cyrus and Gwenivere, she takes a deep breath and exhales before looking to the former. "Clarisse told me that…you know how to use a bow."

"Hm? Yes, this is true. I'd say Lissa is the best archer in our Guild, though."

"D- Do you think she'd teach me?" Cyrus opens his mouth to give an affirmative answer, but hesitates; he instead inquires as to why, to which Fae answers, "Whenever I throw a smoke bomb, I don't have anything to do if no one needs healing." She then looks to Hayato as she follows, "Hayato gets really tired calling on the spirits, so I…I um…I thought I'd help out by using the bow that lets me use Aegis Prayer."

As the others look amongst each other, Cyrus rests his chin in his hand as he voices a slight agreement with Fae's assessment. "Bugger me, and here I was thinking I was the only one who was thinking about that." The others look to him now, somewhat confused by his lax attitude. "Fae's right in that we'll be making use of that bow. Upgrading it through forging will allow the wielder to use a stronger version of Aegis Prayer without actually investing proper time into learning it normally." Looking to Hayato, he follows, "I had intended for Lord Hayato to wield it so that he could focus more on those elemental prayers, but as Fae pointed out, it would tax him quite quickly."

Gwenivere's expression betrays her concern. As she looks to Fae, she asks, "Are you sure you want to do this, sweetie?"

She nods, her resolute expression returning. "I can even help Fi-Fi with her Chain attacks when the rest of you are busy." Everyone has to stifle imminent laughter upon hearing this, including Fiona herself. Fae tilts her head at this, confused. "Isn't that what Clarisse calls you?"

"She hasn't referred to me using that name yet…" She then finds Cyrus repeatedly poking her cheek, snickering to himself as he says her new nickname just once. She blushes, puffing out the very cheek he's poking in an effort to deter him. When it becomes apparent that this isn't going to work, her blush intensifies. "If this is revenge for the nose flick, then I'm sorry. Please stop."

"Oh no, my dearest Fi-Fi; I'm doing this entirely for the Hell of it." Despite this statement, he stops. Looking to Fae again, he smiles and nods to her, putting a wide smile on her face in turn. "We can go talk to Lissa about it after we finish up the third floor."

"Yay~ Thanks, Uncle Cyrus!"

"U- Uncle?"

"Yup, and Gwen is Aunt Gwen."

Gwenivere's expression lights up at this, becoming akin to a star in the darkest of nights. She clasps her hands together, unable to voice her elation at this news. She looks to her husband, her eyes practically stars themselves as she finally finds the words to express herself. "Did you hear that, darling? She called me her aunt! What a joyous occasion!"

Hayato looks to Fiona again. "Our comrades are weird."

"It gets worse."

To work off the bloat caused by their delicious omelets, the party makes for Yggdrasil to perform their Gathering Runs. Four hours are spent on this task, and a single Ariadne Thread is spent, mandating the Guild purchase a replacement lest Cyrus lose his mind over an obsession that no one else quite understands. Gwenivere posits that Cyrus likely doesn't fully understand it himself. With the task complete, the party returns to the third floor once more, and makes way for the tiny clearing located in E4.

It is here that they discover another switch, which they push immediately. This particular switch corresponds to the stone wall directly across from pond separating this lonely clearing from the rest of the floor's western portion. Nearby is a tree whose branches host golden fruits. Cyrus spends a few moments studying the tree in an effort to ascertain the type of fruit the party is looking at. "Ah, these are also Moon Apples; these just have a better coat than the ones on the 2nd Floor." He pulls three choice apples from the branches and secures them with the Guild's rations. "We can roast these over a fire to improve their taste and nutritional value."

The party departs from here, making their way back to the floor's entrance. Instead of progressing through the door they've just unlocked, the party returns to the south-western edge of the floor so that they can finally reveal what awaits them in the two treasure chests. Within the chest closest to the door rests a sealed jar. Fiona, having been the one to open the chest, appraises this item as, "A Volt Jar; we can use this to deal volt damage to one enemy." She hands it to Gwenivere; "You'll make the best use of this."

Within the second chest is a conch shell, which strikes the party as weird. After checking to make sure nothing is living inside of the item, Cyrus holds the conch up to his right ear and closes his eyes to listen. In but a few short moments, he can hear the sounds of combat, and then his closed eyes are suddenly filled with visions of past explorers engaged in battle – their actions match the sounds flooding into his ear. He pulls the conch away, causing the visions and audio to fade in equal pace.

"Hm." He turns to Gwenivere, directing her attention to the conch. "It would appear that this world has a working version of Erdboden's memory playback spell. If you hold this up to your ear and close your eyes, you can hear and witness past battles; I imagine our inactive members will benefit greatly from this." He hands it over to Hayato; "I ask that you keep this equipped for now, Lord Hayato."

"Sure thing; leave it to me."

The party departs from this area, leaving the door in E2 as their next destination. Upon stepping within, Fiona and Cyrus draw their weapons and immediately assume offensive stances. Their grave expressions suggest that something powerful is present, but their three remaining comrades can only see the next switch they need to push. Fae is the first to voice her concern. "U- Um…are you two OK?"

They sheath their weapons, letting out a sigh of relief in tandem. After mapping out the room and flipping switch, Cyrus directs everyone's attention to the room's layout and design. He points out the symmetrical design, as well as the placement of the four ponds on the corners. "Rooms like this almost always house some sort of powerful enemy."

Adding to this, Fiona speaks next. "They aren't present when the exploration season rolls around, but you can expect this room to be occupied by the time we hit later Strata." A buzzing sound directs her attention to the room's center, where a swarm of bees can be seen flying in a focused region. After looking around the region, she points to a large beehive hanging on a nearby tree. "We might be able to harvest Forest Honey for Jenetta."

Hayato shakes his head to this. "We'd have to wait for the bees to disperse, and we lack the tools necessary to force such an event."

Much to Fiona's dismay, Hayato's assessment is correct, leaving the party with no other option but to leave. Cyrus marks the location of this beehive for later before departing alongside the rest of his group. The switch they just activated has lowered the stone wall that was barring the staircase to the fourth floor, a notion that confirms the northern region of this floor is unable to be accessed until the sealed doors can be properly dealt with.

Lili stands at the foot of the staircase, and looks to the Seekers with a smile on her face. "We meet again, Seekers; long time no see." She looks to the stairs, and then to the Seekers. "A magical barrier is up ahead, and a pretty strong one at that. You're a bunch of veterans so I'm not too worried about you, but I can't let anyone proceed further without permission from the Council." To her surprise, the party voices their assent to this notion. "Huh, I kind of expected you to put up a fight just now…"

Cyrus chuckles at this. "I'll heed the Council's wishes; capable though we are, there is still protocol to follow. You're only doing your job, Lili, and we appreciate you taking it seriously." He motions for his Guild to follow after him before raising a hand in farewell. "Take care while you're out here; we'll be back after speaking with Prince Ramus." She waves in turn, bidding the party a safe travel.

Instead of making way for the Council Hall, the party rests at the inn until 7PM. Once their break is over, they return to Yggdrasil, finally intent on investigating the secret area of the second floor. It takes a short trek to bypass the two Toxipede FOEs to reach the entrance, but the party reaches the starting point without expending too many resources. They step through the entrance and are not met with any immediate opposition. The area is surprisingly vacant, allowing Cyrus free reign to draw the map at his own leisure. His charting efforts quickly reveal that much of this region is connected to larger bodies of water that seem to pool in here.

As they proceed south, Fiona spots a treasure chest waiting just beyond a lake. However, the map's magic radar makes it clear that the chest she desires is directly on a Toxipede's patrol route. She frowns at this. "I sure hope we can slip past it without getting into an engagement."

Cyrus offers a suggestion. "If we get cornered, we can always warp out once we obtain the chest's contents."

"True. That just means obtaining the chest will have to be our final task – after the rest of the area is properly explored." She soon learns that there really isn't much to explore in this region; a small lake rests at the foot of the Toxipede's patrol route, and a few more channels into larger waters begin here, but there is little else. A single glance causes her to pout. "The route's too narrow."

Cyrus points to a parallel path, specifically at the tiny stone statue resting near a tree. "There's a shortcut we can use; I assume it must be a two-way, though I'm willing to bet we'll warp out of here anyway." True to his claim, there is a statue, but before the party can interact with it, they must engage a group of enemies. The set before them consists of a Rabid Acorn leading a trio of Wild Dogs. A few clacks reveal that this acorn has defected from the uprising. "They're with the squirrels; let's take 'em down!" Having entered the encounter with an advantage, the party emerges victorious with next to no struggle. Three Conical Canines serve as their reward.

The statue in question does not activate, suggesting that the activation must be handled from the other side. Fiona shrugs to this. "At least you were right about it being a two-way shortcut." After letting the Toxipede pass them by, the party makes way for the treasure chest with Fiona at the helm. Upon opening the box, she pulls out a knife. After studying it, she shows the find to the rest of the party. "It does not appear to be very powerful."

Fae points to the knife, her expression brightening in surprise as she says, "That's a Healing Knife. Someone made changes so that the knife could help out with first-aid treatment."

"I see." She secures the knife with the Guild's belongings; "We may find a use for it at some point. Now, what say you all to staying here a bit longer to obtain more Conical Canines?" Though the hour draws near midnight, the nap Fae took has left her with energy to burn; the party agrees to stay for at least one more engagement before departing. When the next encounter ends up being a quintet of Myconid, they leave immediately afterwards. "At least we got six of those Ferrules; we can finish upgrading Lady Gwenivere's staff."

"Cyrus, my love; I understand now why you detest mushrooms. I apologize for giving you so much grief during our youth, honestly and truly."

"I am glad to see you understand my woes. All is forgiven, my beloved liege." He furls up the map and pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "Now I feel comfortable reporting our maps to Prince Ramus."

The party departs from the Labyrinth and makes way for the Council. Though it is now a little past midnight, they are surprised to find that Prince Ramus is still awake. What's more, he appears to be working on something. When he hears the Seekers announce their presence, he turns to face them. "Greetings, Seekers."

"Hi, Prince Ramus! Watcha doing?"

"Ah, I have spent the past few days learning how to cook from Jenetta and one of her sisters. I was taught how to bake bread, so I've been working on a new recipe. After some trial and error, I have perfected the Egg-in-a-Basket." He presents a finished example of his craft, and even offers it to Fae. She accepts the offer of free food with all the joy she can muster through her tired state, and devours the meal in kind. Ramus laughs at this; "My but you were hungry; you must have just returned from exploring. Nevertheless, I am happy to see you enjoyed my cooking." Gwenivere's face brightens at this. "You must be familiar with the dish."

"Indeed I am." Pointing to Cyrus, she follows, "I am not a fan of sunny-side up, mostly because I dislike the taste of runny yolk, so I had my husband here make a few modifications whenever he would cook this for me during our childhood."

Looking to Cyrus, Ramus asks, "You are a chef, Cyrus?"

He nods. "I started out as Milady's guardian, but as her personal servant, I was also trained in a myriad of subjects a butler would find useful. Of these, cooking is among the roster that I get the most use out of."

"How curious. Curious still that Lady Gwenivere would marry outside her station; I imagine that the two of you have endured no shortage of opposition and hardship."

Gwenivere nods to this as she takes hold of Cyrus' hand. "You are entirely correct, Prince Ramus, but the happiness we've worked for is well-earned. His faithful service, as well as the unlimited joy he brings me – both are worth fighting for."

"I wish the two of you a continuation of such joy. Considering how late it is, I can't rightfully say you all are here for a leisurely chat; might you have an inquiry regarding the state of the fourth floor?"

To his surprise, Cyrus shakes his head. "We will request further elaboration on that matter, but not tonight, as I'm sure you're just as tired from honing your cooking skills. I know from experience how grueling the task can get for those who are serious." He presents the Guild's maps of the second and third floors to the Prince. "We've updated our map of the second floor to include information on the secret area to the west. The third floor harbors an entire section to the north, but we are unable to chart it at present since the way forward is barred by a sealed door."

Ramus accepts the maps, thanking the party for its efforts in turn. A cursory glance elicits a bit of extra praise. "You certainly don't leave out any details." He furls the maps and looks to the Seekers once more. "I will be sure to have these returned to you soon; you have my gratitude. When the time comes for you to receive the information concerning the fourth floor, there is another matter I would discuss with you. It is nothing overly serious, but I would appreciate you indulging my curiosity."

Cyrus nods to this. "We'll offer what information we can, Prince Ramus." With that confirmation, the party bids the prince a good evening, and makes way for Jenetta's Inn to retire for the night.


	9. A Dance with Stone Statues

**Chapter 9: A Dance with Stone Statues**

Morning arrives early for the Seekers, specifically the Erdboden four. The small group has risen to endeavor in combat training, with their practice ground stationed at a large clearing near Jenetta's Inn. A park can be seen off in the far distance, though it is understandably empty at this hour. Gwenivere has taken to honing her ice magic; as she creates pillars of ice, Amy is tasked with breaking through a specified portion of the pillars with her fists. Amy improves her precision through this joint training; Gwenivere improves the efficacy of her casting.

Cyrus and Valerie take practice swings with their weapons. The Miasma Armor is in effect, allowing Cyrus the use of his left arm during these drills. The physical toll the Miasma Armor takes on Valerie is notably lesser now, allowing her to manually extend the effects of her armor without damaging herself so heavily. Unlike Amy, who gives a short battle cry with each punch she throws, this duo refrains from emitting any sounds of exertion. The two inhale whilst prepping a swing, and then exhale upon execution, rationing the breaths they've taken should the need to use consecutive strikes present itself.

The group practices mostly in silence for the next hour, barely exchanging a few words when they decide to take their leave and return to the inn. Upon arrival, they can see Lissa and Fae training at the inn's archery ground. Despite likely being woken up far earlier than she's used to, Fae's expression does not evoke a sense of exhaustion; instead, she looks focused. Her form for a standing shot is notably awkward, even for that of an amateur. After struggling to even hold this posture, she motions into a crouch and takes aim again.

Not only does the girl now appear to be completely steady, her countenance becomes far more confident in its visage. She pulls back on the drawstring, waits for the wind to die down, and then releases her shot. The target in the distance is struck as the arrow flies true, though she fails to hit the red center. The girl lets out a sound of disappointment at this, but Lissa does not share in the sentiment as she pats the child on the head. "Not a bad shot at all, Fae; with a little practice, you might be a better crouch-shooter than Leon." Fae smiles at this and giggles. "We still need to work on your standing shots, though. I just don't get why it's so uncomfortable for you." She looks to the side to find that Cyrus is now within earshot. "Good, you're back; how was practice?"

"My apprentice's power continues to grow – I am pleased." Looking to Fae, he dons a soft smile and asks, "Are you doing well, little one?"

She pouts. "I'm no good at standing shots…" When asked to demonstrate, she nods and assumes her stance again. The bow is held within her left hand while the drawstring is pulled by the right. Her feet are angled properly, and her legs are spaced evenly, yet the girl's drawing hand is shaky. Her back is turned to Cyrus at present, prompting him to alter his position so that he can see her face. Sure enough, Fae's countenance puts her nervousness on display.

Before she can release her arrow, Cyrus says, "Fae, switch the way you wield the bow; can you do that?" She looks at him with a confused expression, but attempts to comply all the same. She mirrors herself, now having swapped the hand that holds the bow as well as the one that pulls back on the drawstring. It is when she adopts her stance that Cyrus takes notice of the problem. Upon settling her legs, Fae momentarily directs her gaze to the side, as if checking for incoming enemies. When her eyes are set ahead once more, she looks more confident. "Ah, so that's it. How quaint, I was the same way when I started."

Fae lowers her bow and directs her attention at him. "What changed?"

"Your positioning matters. In the formation we assume in the Labyrinth, having your back face to the left means there is no one to watch out for you while you take a shot. With your back facing the right, you know that Lady Gwenivere and Lord Hayato have you covered, so you're not nearly as skittish."

Lissa lightly taps the bottom of her fist to her open palm, an expression of revelation forming her countenance. "Oh, right, I get it. Clarisse is like that too." Looking to Fae, she smiles. "Alright Fae; give me ten shots." Fae's face contorts into one of revulsion. "Don't be that way; if you can hit the center at least once, I'll take you out for ice cream."

An incredible aura permeates the environment, causing both Lissa and Cyrus to check for its source. When they realize that Fae is the one emanating this aura, they glance at each other before taking a step back. Fae pulls a single arrow from the quiver resting behind her hips and adopts her standing stance once more. Her movements are precise, flowing smoothly as if perfectly calculated. The arrow flies true, and strikes the red zone of the target dead center. Not content, she immediately transitions to her crouching stance and fires another arrow, which pierces through the one she just fired to strike the same spot.

Cyrus runs a hand through his hair, another "Hoo~" escaping him as he watches Fae fire her arrows without hesitation. He turns to Lissa and asks, "So how about that ice cream? May I join you, my dear?"

"Uh…yeah, sure, Cyrus; happy to have you."

After this morning of decadence is complete, the Chain party assembles to make way for the Council Hall. Here, Ramus awaits in his usual location; he turns to face the Seekers, looking rather pleased to see them. "I've been expecting you, though I didn't think you'd arrive so soon. You are here for the assignment, yes?"

Cyrus nods. "You also mentioned that you have something else to discuss with us; we're here for that as well."

"Then allow me to present the pressing business first. We of the Council Hall would like for you explorers to chart a path from the First Stratum to the Second. Perhaps you have heard of the magical barrier already, but allow me to elaborate. The barrier in question is a product of ancient Celestrian mages."

Fae tilts her head and asks, "Do you mean the ones who made the cute golems?"

"Indeed. Though most of the golems are inactive, enough remain to continue barring further access into Yggdrasil. They are meant to safeguard those who are unprepared for the Labyrinth's more dangerous challenges, but we of the Council do assign missions requiring explorers to go beyond. This mission exists to test those who would prove themselves worthy."

Cyrus and Fiona both nod before replying, in tandem, "Naturally, the Seekers will accept the mission."

"Excellent. Now, the other topic I wished to discuss pertains to the Seekers specifically." Seeing everyone's expectant faces, he follows, "The name of your Guild sounded incredibly familiar, so I dabbled in research. You can imagine my surprise when I went back to re-discover the Seekers' history all over again."

Gwenivere folds her arms, donning a soft smile upon her lips. "The majority of this Branch consists of newcomers, myself included. The veterans of this Branch are Cyrus, Dame Fiona, Amy, and Dame Lissa."

"I was aware of Lissa's status as a Seekers veteran, but I never expected her fellows to enlist her in Iorys. It is most fortuitous that I hesitated when assigning that task to her and Clarisse."

Cyrus says, "It is my hope that you don't yield any special treatment to us just because of our fame. We are in an accord with the Council as is; that is incentive enough to continue our climb. I would hate for public unrest to stem from us being put on a pedestal. That's arguably more important than Yggdrasil's exploration."

Ramus nods in accord. "I agree. Managing the civilians should be the Council's top priority. I appreciate your lot adhering to protocol. Do be careful as you explore the Labyrinth."

The Seekers voice their assent to this and depart from the Council Hall. They return to the third floor's ascending staircase, where their progress is surprisingly unimpeded by Lili. Hayato searches around, but finds no one, nor does he sense her characteristic malefic aura. "Hm, do you think she already received word of us?"

Looking to him, Gwenivere replies, "With how swiftly news seems to travel in this city, I would not be surprised." She then shrugs, suggesting that the party head back to the city before beginning proper exploration. Along the way to the Twilight Tavern, the party encounters Ramus, who has just finished discussing some unheard matter with a guard. "It is rare to see you out of the Hall, Prince Ramus."

"I was just receiving a report from the guard who departed. He patrols the Labyrinth to keep an eye on novice explorers; he procures edible goods from time to time, and has agreed to share his yields with me. Perchance, are you in possession of Moon Apples and Forest Berries? I might be able to devise a new recipe."

Fae steps to the fore at Cyrus' side. Though tiny in stature, her current serious expression expands her presence. "You have my attention."

"Very good. Please wait here while I prepare the dish." A few moments later, he returns from a side room with a plate. Upon it are the two halves of a bisected Moon Apple that has been grilled. The halves are topped with berries and glazed with honey. He presents the dish to Fae, who happily consumes one half of it before offering the other back to Ramus. "Ah, how kind of you."

She giggles before replying, "Sharing is caring~" She is then handed a small jar. "Is this for storing honey?"

"Indeed; it'll be difficult to make honeyed fruit without this." A group of guards can be seen approaching from behind the Seekers. "Ah, this must be another report. I must bid you farewell, Seekers."

Departing from here, the party makes way for the Twilight Tavern, no longer tarried by diversions. When they step inside, Mirina is the first to greet them. "Welcome back, Seekers. I know this will sound random, but have you encountered an Owl Beast yet?"

Cyrus nods to this and replies, "Those creatures are not my idea of a fun engagement. We'll meet them in combat at a later date; for now, avoidance is our priority."

This response elicits a chuckle from the proprietress. "I guess I really didn't need to be worried." She is called over by another patron, likely one who is ready to order. "Ah, please excuse me; feel free to chat with the others while you're here."

Taking a seat, the Seekers soon find themselves addressed by a female Fencer with violet hair. Fiona's face brightens upon seeing this woman, suggesting familiarity. "Yo, Fio." Looking amongst the rest of the party, she follows, "You guys must be the Seekers; nice to meet you." She takes a seat and introduces herself as Aria. "So get this, I just got back from the fourth floor and met the biggest goddang lobster you ever met!"

Tilting his head, Hayato's expression becomes inquisitive as he asks, "Did you catch it?"

"No, no, no; it was a monster – an FOE even. It can travel in the water and move onto land. I think it's like the Toxipede on the lower floor; it doesn't actually pay me any real attention – it just patrols its turf." She then takes a moment to ponder Hayato's question. "It sure would be something to eat a lobster that big, right?" As she and the party make small talk, an angry patron can be heard from a few tables over. He angrily works away at his food, aggressively devouring the dish as if it insulted his pride. Occasionally, he'll make mention of some sort of primate on the fourth floor that can imitate its allies, even down to the transformation of Ropers. Looking to Fiona, Aria asks, "You think he's sober?"

"Girl, I've seen some shit; I believe him. Ever heard of a Revelationer?" Aria shakes her head. Cyrus lets out a groan and rests his head on the table upon hearing the name. "Cyrus remembers." Fae pats him on the shoulder in an effort to soothe the man. Mirina approaches their table armed with platters; despite the Seekers never putting in an order, she has given them precisely what they would have asked for. Even Aria's meal is included among them. "Can you read the future, Mirina?"

Her answer is roundabout, and begins with a giggle. Donning a mischievous grin, she says, "I wonder." She hands Cyrus a clipboard detailing available quests. "Since you guys worked so quickly for the first three floors, I'm afraid there are only two available at the moment."

Looking at the list, Cyrus can see that the first quest is a direct request from the Council. "We are tasked with slaying a Toxipede. Simple enough; we can handle that right after the fourth floor is charted." The second quest is more abstract. "Someone wants proof of a giant Roper?"

"Yes, I believe this customer is specifically referring to the Colossal Roper, which your Guild has already faced and defeated if I'm not mistaken. The required proof is a Thick Vine." Cyrus' left eye twitches at this. "Is…something the matter, Cyrus?"

"We already sold the Thick Vine we procured!" He grabs hold of Fiona's shoulder, giving her a slight shake as he laments further. "We dun goofed, Fiona…we dun goofed."

Taking pity upon the man, she wraps her arms around him and pulls him into a close embrace. A few pats on the back are applied before she says, "You poor thing." Looking to the others, who are incredibly confused, she follows, "The Armoroad Branch made some mistakes that Cyrus never lived down; the incident with the Gigapede parts left him a changed man."

Gwenivere, having heard mention of the Gigapede, can only nod before shaking her head. "Say no more, fair Dame; it is all perfectly clear to me now." When Fae asks for confirmation, she gives a simple explanation in turn. "Cyrus has a patholo- er, that is to say he is deathly afraid of centipedes."

Hayato asks, "Did he encounter one the size of a Toxipede or something?" When Gwenivere replies by saying the Gigapede Cyrus encountered was larger, and that it almost ended his life, Hayato's face goes pale. "Oh dear…I had no idea."

Separating from Fiona, Cyrus' countenance is commanded by a fierce look of determination. A second glance leaves Fiona and Gwenivere unconvinced, leaving them teetering between the notion of calling it determination or simple rage. Either way, Cyrus grabs hold of the fried drumstick on his plate and holds it towards the ceiling as if to give a rallying cry. "Once this food is consumed, we march! We're gonna beat the Hell out of that stupid tree!"

Everyone in the immediate vicinity gives an assenting battle cry alongside him, despite most of them having heard none of the details behind this rally. Gwenivere can only rest her cheek in her hand and sigh, though she's shooting a smile in her husband's direction all the same. ' _What am I going to do with this man?_ '

Proper exploration of the fourth floor does not begin until the hour strikes 7PM, for the Guild tarried before executing their Gathering Runs. Time was also spent teaching Fae how to cook an egg-in-a-basket. The Seekers arrive at the new floor and immediately take notice of a door leading westward. The party proceeds through the door, and is immediately met with the giant lobster Aria mentioned at the Twilight Tavern. In terms of structure, the creature is more akin to a fusion between a lobster and an eel. The creature looks to the party, observing them for a brief moment before going about its business.

Curiously, this lobster FOE is content with patrolling a small perimeter; it doesn't enter the water. Another door is present in this room, just above the Seekers' entrance to the north. Within is a small strip of land that leads to a suitable fishing spot. Upon returning to the room with the lobster, the party discovers the exit-end of a future shortcut. Fiona breathes a sigh of relief at this. "At least we won't have to worry about switches, right?" Before she can get a reaction from her comrades, a pair of purple and yellow slugs approaches the party. "Uh…those are slugs, right?"

Cyrus shakes his head and draws his weapon, prompting the rest of the party to do the same. The creatures emit gurgling noises, causing Fiona's face to scrunch up in disgust. "That was confirmation of their intent. These are leeches, and they intend to devour us."

Fiona points to one of the creatures, her disgust intensifying. "That's a leech?!" One of the leeches uses Fiona's momentary distraction to fire a wad of saliva at her. Cyrus pushes her out of the way, taking the hit in her stead. The second leech doubles up and sends a wad his way in turn, but it is of no matter since Cyrus is already kneeling in pain from the poison wracking his body. "Was that poison?!"

He forcibly rises to his feet, his body still shaky. After studying the enemies, he relays orders to the others. "They're weak to fire; Fae, don't worry about Aegis Prayer right now. W-" he coughs, needing to spit out the blood pooling in his mouth before stepping to the side to avoid his weakness being exploited. For its efforts, the leech that attacked him is stabbed in the eyes. "Go all out!" Rather than waste time trying to manage the poison, the party rushes its offense to dispatch the leeches instead. Cyrus takes a seat on the grass, in desperate need to catch his breath after the poison ravaged his system; Hayato sits beside him, having also nearly succumbed to the effects of the poison. "Fiona, Lord Hayato; are you both alright?"

Hayato exhales, his strength returning, albeit gradually. "You're asking us? You look like you're on Death's doorstep, Cyrus."

"I'm used to it." Before anyone can comment further on this, Fae rushes over to him. A bottle is held in her hands, a standard Medica but with some sort of herb soaking within the bottle's contents. Feeling that Cyrus might be too weak to drink this bottle's contents on his own, Fae elects to assist him by holding the bottle in his place. "Thank you, Fae; I feel much better after that." Fae then motions to heal Fiona and Hayato as well, though basic herbs prove to be enough for them. Rising to his feet, Cyrus exhales and sheathes his sword. "Head Bind would be better against the leeches, but only Amy would be able to handle such a task."

Gwenivere says, "It would appear that blinding the creatures does nothing to stop their poison attacks. I suggest the two of you defend yourselves while Lord Hayato and I bolster our offense."

"A sound suggestion as any, Milady." After assessing his comrade's well-being, he takes point to lead them further into the floor. "Let's proceed." The party elects to halt its progression at a small clearing that harbors two ponds. From here, they can study the patrol route of the next lobster FOE without running the risk of engaging it in combat. In a nearby tree is some sort of monkey monster. When Cyrus turns to grant it attention, the creature hisses at him, wearing what the Fencer can only describe as a shit-eating grin upon its countenance. ' _Aren't we sassy?_ '

Fae, who sits next to him, points up above, directing her allies' attention to a dozen apples ripe for the picking. She looks to Cyrus and asks, "Should we pick them?"

Fiona advises against this. "Our ration storage is nearing capacity; even if we got past this monkey, we wouldn't have enough space to take all of the apples. Better to just leave it be for now." Though she'd much rather get as many apples as she can, Fae complies with a nod, leaving the Seekers to depart. A treasure chest is up ahead, but it is separated from the party by two bodies of water, one of which is part of the lobster's patrol route. Further still, the dimensions of the map suggest that this chest is essentially sealed in an isolated location. "We'll have to find the entrance to its shortcut, no doubt."

Cyrus frowns at this. "It's likely that the area has an increased encounter rate as well."

Gwenivere sighs. "Good for training, but terrible for exploration."

As the party motions to depart from this place, they are beset by a quartet of creatures. Three of the enemies are Ice Bats, but the last opponent is a new creature entirely. Before them is a black monkey with shimmering ebon claws. Its yellow eyes work in tandem with its smile to cast an intimidating visage through the darkness. Hayato draws his bow and says, "That's trouble. With the monkey present, we're essentially dealing with four bats."

Fae pulls back on her bowstring, though without an arrow in hand. In doing so, a shimmering blue arrow appears where her nocked arrow would usually be. She aims at the sky above and lets the arrow fly; it disperses into a squall that envelops her allies in the effects of Aegis Prayer. "L- Let's do our best!"

The party's offense results in the immediate defeat of both bats occupying the front line. However, due to miscalculating the strength of Gwenivere's bolt of lightning, Fiona is left momentarily hesitant. She intended to use Chain Shock, but currently has nothing to target. It is in this moment that she is struck by the remaining Ice Bat's use of Cold Front; though that is not enough to deter her, the Forest Aye-Aye immediately doubles up and hits her with Cold Front as well. The damage is too much, causing her to lose consciousness as she falls to the grass. When she wakes up, only the Aye-Aye remains, though its eyes have been rendered useless. The party finishes the monkey off without much trouble, ending the encounter.

Cyrus and Fae sit down to treat Fiona's wounds. For the parts of her body where herbs won't have any effect, such as the areas covered in frost, Cyrus holds his hand in place to gradually melt away what is present through the use of fire magic. "I also misjudged the amount of damage Milady would do; had I the foresight, I would have used Optic Thrust to blind the monkey. Perhaps then you would have been able to avoid the second attack."

"Don't blame yourself; these things happen. I think this is our first time ever dealing with a mimic." She rises to her feet now that her wounds are healed, and takes to progressing with her comrades. The shortcut leading to the area with the first lobster is unlocked, to which Fiona dons a confused expression. "Now, doesn't this shortcut feel a bit early? Yeah, we had to bypass three FOEs to get here, and I wouldn't want to bother with the task again, but this doesn't feel earned." She shrugs before continuing on with the others.

Not too far away from this shortcut is a relaxing area with a soft breeze blowing through. A guardsman is here, one who is quite affable. "This place is great, right? Perfect for napping on the job."

After a moment of taking in the breeze again, Cyrus says, "You know, this wind might be pretty good for making dried fish as well."

"Hey now, we got a like-minded chef!" He sits down to facilitate the act of rummaging through his rations. A freshly caught fish is pulled from his belongings, which he works to fillet in twain. He places the fish in salt water, letting it sit for a moment before removing it to dry. Some time passes before the fish is deemed fully prepared. "Nicely done if I do say so myself." Cyrus nods, commenting on the quality. The guard presents the fish to the Fencer, smiling as he says, "Take it; you explorers will likely need this more than me, and it sure beats the Hell out of drinking Medica all the time."

He then gives a hearty laugh before exchanging farewells with the Seekers. Up ahead to the east is a split path, one that rounds a corner to the south and the other simply heading further east. The path that leads east is chosen, in hopes of it leading to a dead end. The path ends much sooner than anticipated when the Seekers arrive at a small waterbed. Here, there are some flat, thin stones resting at the feet of the party. Fiona looks to Cyrus and asks, "Wanna try stone skipping? The record here in Arcania is 50 if I'm not mistaken."

"Sure, why not?" Taking hold of a stone to use as a warming exercise, he steadies his stance and relaxes his breathing. He inhales one last time, motioning into a wide step as he curves his hand to perform an underhanded toss. He exhales as he does so, accentuating his movements. The stone skips along the waters as it travels towards the far shore, eventually losing momentum and sinking into the drink at the 37th skip. Cyrus smiles softly at this, presumably content with the outcome. "Not bad. My personal best was 22 until now."

Fiona chuckles at this. "I expected you to be somewhere in the 40s. That said, we're tied now; my PB is 37 as well." She looks to him with a mischievous expression upon her face. "We'll have to settle this in the future; I hope you're prepared, old friend." Cyrus agrees to this competition, to which she smiles. "Good. Now, let us continue forward."

The path left untraveled stops the Seekers when they are graced with a unique flooring; a short distance ahead of this flooring is some sort of stone monument. To avoid the risk of potentially stepping onto a trap, the party makes way further south in hopes that the path ahead loops around to the stone monument. It does not, instead ending at another fishing spot. What is worthy of note, however, is the slew of similar stone monuments across the nearby pond. With no other way forward, the party is ultimately left with no choice but to step on the unique flooring.

Before this can be done, however, Seekers are beset by another Enemy Set. This time, they face a quartet of Ropers and another Forest Aye-Aye. The back-row Ropers are undoubtedly going to transform, but the Seekers intend to allow this. They focus their efforts on the Aye-Aye, dispatching it before the Ropers fuse in order to prevent it from somehow mimicking said fusion. The Seekers are too slow to meet this demand; the Aye-Aye copies the fusion just before succumbing to its injuries. This successful copy somehow restores all of its health as its form perfectly molds to become a Colossal Roper. Cyrus clicks his tongue in frustration at this and orders an immediate retreat.

Hayato sighs at the outcome, kicking a rock away. "Those Ropers didn't fuse together before Lady Gwenivere could cast her spell last time…"

Cyrus surmises that, "Those Ropers must have gotten lucky with their action speed." He shakes his head. "Regardless, the problem here was our lack of damage. I should have used Optic Thrust instead of a basic attack; that would have put us at the threshold we needed even though the Ruinous Prayer wasn't in effect." Now that the party has arrived at the unique flooring, Cyrus tests it with his foot. Nothing happens, so he puts his entire weight upon it. Once again, nothing happens. "Hm, this must act in response to the monument."

He motions for the rest of his party to join him, which they heed. The monument faces south, and is, upon closer inspection, of a different make than the stone statue switches on the floors below. In the path of this monument is another stone pillar, one with a large blue gem slotted in its center. A second glance reveals the monument to be wobbling back and forth, as if sentient. Cyrus places a hand upon the monument, causing it to rotate until it is facing to the west. This causes the stone pillar to the south to sink into the ground. In turn, a pillar rises from the unique flooring that previously had the party concerned.

Fae looks back and forth between the two pillars. "Huh, that was neat."

With no other way to proceed forward, the Seekers continue onward; another monument rests in a corner, which is then rotated so that further progress can be made. The party happens upon a dead end in the form of a spacious clearing. Here, there are no obstructions to one's vision. The hour has just struck midnight, and the party looks rather tired. Cyrus nods to this and suggests that everyone take a break, an order they are all happy to heed.

Taking a seat to watch over his resting comrades, Cyrus removes a small loaf of white bread from the party's rations to dine on. He looks to Fae, who has already fallen asleep on Gwenivere's lap. ' _Brounis must train their young from an early age. Fae is better equipped for this than I give her credit._ ' His attention then falls to Fiona, who is busy servicing her weapon. Her expression is calm and stern; it is unlikely that she'd hear him were he to call upon her. Cyrus unfurls the map, intent on fine-tuning any potential mistakes. Hayato sits beside him in order to study the leader's work.

They sit is silence for a time before Hayato breaks it with a question. "How are you faring, Leader?"

"I'm well enough, Lord Hayato; I have to be."

"Lady Gwenivere told Fae and me some stories about you, stories that are both uplifting and disheartening. Fae does not yet understand the gravity of what you've been through, but I have…at least a small idea." He looks up to Cyrus, his purple eyes displaying concern as they shimmer in the moonlight. "I was told that you're not fond of the leadership role; why did you take it so readily this time?"

Cyrus sighs to this, momentarily directing his gaze to the stars above. He brings himself back to ground level, another sigh escaping him. Before making eye contact, a thought passes his mind. ' _I tell myself that I'm taking responsibility._ ' Looking to Hayato, he says, "This is a step towards preparing myself for the future. This is…" He hesitates, transitioning into a long pause that he's not sure how to follow up on. "This…is something I have to do if I want to rule at Milady's side." His attention is directed at Gwenivere's sleeping form, prompting Hayato to look her way as well. "I have made many sacrifices to ensure her success, plenty of which were arguably detrimental to me personally. This is but another mark on that list."

"Do you regret this so far?" Cyrus shakes his head in reply, even donning a smile. "I don't understand."

"Being here in this world is fun for me, Lord Hayato. Leading the Seekers has its moments where I wish the burden belonged to another, but I'm more than willing to take up the mantle so that no one else has to."

"Is there something special about Lady Gwenivere?"

"Nothing tied to fate, prophecies, or anything of the sort. She's just someone to whom I owe my very existence. Had I not met her, I would have been dead for…" he exhales, expressing surprise at the total he's counted, "13 years; damn, time flies." Hayato's expression becomes downtrodden, though Cyrus suspects that it has nothing to do with what he just said. "What's on your mind, prince? One of your station should not hesitate before a subject, least of all a friend."

"I was told that…" He pauses, still unable to look his comrade in the eye. "Lady Gwenivere told me that it might take awhile for you to talk with me about my father; the two of you, at least in regards to the one from Erdboden, aren't on good terms anymore."

Cyrus' eyes go wide at this, causing him to avert his gaze from Hayato altogether. "How much did she tell you?" The Brouni prince shakes his head, stating that Gwenivere spoke no further. "Then it falls to me to explain it proper." He nods. "That is good; you shouldn't hear that sort of news from anyone else."

He looks back up to Cyrus, though notably more reserved than before. "Then you'll tell me what happened?"

"Aye, in time. Right now, however, would be inappropriate."

To his surprise, Hayato accepts this. He rises to his feet, his expression suggesting that he is in better spirits than before. Their discussion is left at that, leaving the two to silently observe the map revisions until Gwenivere and Fae wake up. The party continues forward once their break is complete, advancing north from the clearing in E5. Two monuments lie in wait to clear the path forward. The furthest monument is rotated once while the one just before it rotated twice.

As the party makes their way back, they quickly discover that they have finally arrived at the entrance of the shortcut that leads to the treasure chest. Within this chest is a staff capable of removing binds. Cyrus and Fiona happily secure this find among their belongings, but no one equips it. Just around the corner of this shortcut is the staircase ascending to the fifth floor, to which Fiona blinks in surprise. "Oh, we cleared the whole floor in one go; I actually wasn't expecting that."

Pointing at the map, Gwenivere directs everyone's attention to the route they took. "Didn't we take the initial door in C2 specifically because we thought it would lead to an impasse?"

Fae raises a finger as she points out, "I think we forgot all about that when Uncle Cyrus got poisoned." Everyone else nods to this, voicing their agreement with barely audible grunts. She then directs her comrades' attention to a nearby shortcut. "We can map out the rest of the floor before we leave, right?"

Since the young girl is showing no exhaustion, the others see no reason not to make one final push. Stepping through this shortcut, the party is greeted by a narrow path surrounded by bodies of water varying in size. Resting in a corner is a hollow dug into a large tree. Hayato peeks within the hollow to see what may dwell inside, only to realize that it is much too dark for him to see anything. "Hm, maybe if I…" He pokes his head further inside, which proves to be a terrible idea, for a trio of Venomous Leeches jumps out to attack the party. This encounter ends with the Seekers emerging victorious, but not without having to use another Nectar to revive Hayato mid-fight.

Cyrus exhales a sigh of relief. "That was more than a little egregious." He peers into the hollow now that the party is unimpeded. From it he pulls out a cut of Mossy Ore. After securing it with the rest of the procured materials from this trek, he sighs. "That was not worth it." Hayato agrees, and offers an apology before the Guild finishes charting the rest of this floor. Upon doing so, they depart using an Ariadne Thread and make way for Jenetta's Inn.


	10. Jenetta's Excellent Adventure

Author's Notes: _Apologies for the late upload; I'm trying to maintain a rhythm of one chapter every other day, and ended up missing yesterday's update because I was busy recording the battle with the boss of the 2nd Stratum. In turn, I was also kept busy with the act of writing the second-to-last chapter for the 2nd Stratum. As recompense, Chapter 11 will be uploaded tomorrow, and then I'll return to my established rhythm._

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Jenetta's Excellent Adventure**

When the morning comes, the Seekers find themselves rising from bed in a state of grogginess none of them are used to. Fae is the notable exception to this, for she rises with a pep in her step. She skips and dances around her sluggish comrades in order to leave the room, heading downstairs to wash up before eating the breakfast that Jenetta has surely prepared. This strange juxtaposition is not lost on Jenetta; she even feels the need to comment on it once the Seekers start eating.

"You all look so tired. I mean, you did get home pretty late, but Fae's fine…" Upon hearing Cyrus and Fiona dejectedly comment on how much they hate the Forest Aye-Ayes, as well as Hayato angrily mutter something about the Venomous Leeches, she can only shake her head. "You guys must have had it really rough."

Once breakfast is finished, the party heads for the Twilight Tavern. Mirina greets them once again, and invites the Seekers to join the conversation she was having with Clarisse and Lissa. "We were just talking about how your Guild might take on the powerful foe at the end of the Stratum."

Clarisse rests her hands on her hips, striking an indignant pose as she looks to Cyrus. "What gives, Co?! You did the entirety of the fourth floor without us!" As he motions to apologize, she interjects. "Nuh uh, don't give me any of that! You owe me; you owe us!" She looks to Lissa, hoping to get some back-up. "Come on, girl; he can't neglect you like this."

"Clarisse, it's fine; I don't feel neglect-"

"That's not the point, girl!"

In an effort to appease, Cyrus presents an option. "Um, we can handle the Toxipede-slaying quest together if you wish." His face reflects his apologetic tone as he follows, "I don't intend to play favorites or anything; that's just how exploration turns out sometimes."

Clarisse finds it incredibly difficult to look him in the eye after hearing this. She pouts, soon letting out a huff as she crosses her arms and completely turns away from him. "It's…it's fine; I'm just a little pissed with how you handled it." She then turns to point a finger at him; "It felt like you dropped the rest of us just because we got our asses kicked by that one Colossal Roper."

"Oh…no. Clarisse, that was a result of my failings as a leader; I don't blame any of you for what happened." Before she can respond to this, the same patron from the previous evening begins ranting about how Colossal Ropers can throw Rabid Acorns. Even Cyrus finds himself growing agitated. "Damn, what role don't these Ropers perform?"

Mirina shakes her head to this. "I keep telling customers how dangerous they are; of all the things in the Tutelary Forest, they're the one you just can't underestimate." Looking to the party, she asks, "We have four more requests for you all; interested?" Upon hearing a request for more information, she says, "Three of them take place on the Fifth Floor; the last one is from Jenetta's older sister – she wants you to, um…babysit Jenetta while she works in the Labyrinth?" The party exchanges glances, to which Mirina replies, "I know, I know; my reaction was the same."

After a moment of deliberation, Cyrus says, "I think we'll take those later. We're going to spend today tackling FOEs."

"Very well. Like I said, there's no rush; your Guild is making excellent progress so far."

After bidding Mirina farewell, the Seekers depart to make way for the Explorers Guild. Here, Egar can be seen conversing with Amy. Their attention is momentarily diverted as the others draw near. Egar extends a greeting to the newly arrived. "I must confess – Veterans though you may be, I did not expect your Guild to reach the fifth floor so quickly. I can assure you that the Second Stratum will not be a simple trek."

Cyrus groans to this. "Believe me, after having to put up with the Primitive Jungle in Etria, I know better than to underestimate the Second Stratum." Looking to his sister, he says, "We have a quest to handle; did I arrive at a bad time?"

"Nah, you're good. The Guildmaster and I were just discussing the Pugilist Class and how it differs from the Monks of Armoroad."

"I find it curious that the Monks were capable of dealing more damage without a weapon equipped; such a thing is unheard of here in Iorys."

"I was more surprised by how this Class has no healing options; completely took me out of my comfort zone."

Egar chuckles at this. "And yet your power has not diminished, though I hear you've been having trouble securing binds." Amy nods at this, falling silent as a slight sense of shame begins to build. "Raise your head, warrior; there is no shame in failure. In fact, I suggest you handle this request with Cyrus; the shame of defeat is easily washed by the glory of victory."

Amy nods to him, and motions to depart with her comrades. Before heading to the Labyrinth, they make way for the Council Hall in order to register their map of the fourth floor. Cyrus admits to nearly forgetting to take care of this, to which Clarisse snickers as she remarks on his carelessness. Inside, Ramus can be seen looking quite proud of another dish he has created. Valerie is here, and is wearing an apron over her dress. For some reason, a white bandana is tied to her head, and her expression is somewhat serious.

"Hello there, Seekers. I must thank you for the assistance your Harbinger has provided; though strict, Valerie is most helpful."

"You are a fast learner, Prince Ramus; any chef would be happy to have you as an apprentice."

Cyrus and Amy grow wide-eyed at this. "Goodness, Prince Ramus, are you well? Did she hurt you?"

The prince adopts a look of confusion before looking to Valerie. "Might this be an Erdboden custom?"

"No, they are simply commenting on my past disciples; they were less capable than you."

He falls silent at this, taking in the implications. "I…I see." Clarisse rolls her eyes at this and asks what recipe the prince has devised. "I'm glad you asked, Clarisse." He presents a plate holding a pancake. "A Celestrian baker taught me this particular dessert back when I still lived in the imperial capital. I learned this dish when I was just a kid, so it's been awhile since I tried it."

Amy eyes the dish, making her desire to eat it apparent in no small terms. "It looks good." When Ramus offers her the dish, she holds a hand to her chest, taken aback by the gesture. "Do you really mean it, my Lord?" He nods, allowing her to accept the plate. The pancake is promptly consumed, and Amy's face lights up in elation. "Just the right amount of fluff, too."

"I am glad you enjoyed the meal, Mrs. Hasani."

"Oh, no, please; just call me Amy."

The prince then pulls a frying pan from a drawer, handing it over to Cyrus. "You can use this to cook the dish while you're in the Labyrinth."

Cyrus takes a moment to study the frying pan in his grip, noting its weight, construction, and design. "This is a quality pan, Prince Ramus; are you sure you wish to give this to us?"

"Certainly." Cyrus then offers him the Guild's completed map of the fourth floor, stating that it is small recompense for this gift. "Think nothing of it, Cyrus; the Council appreciates your efforts. Will you require this map soon?"

"Oh, no, we're actually tackling the Council's FOE-slaying request today, so we'll be on lower floors."

"Ah, I see. In that case, I wish you all good luck." Looking to Valerie, he bows in gratitude. "Thank you again, for your assistance, Valerie; I'm sure my sister would be proud to see me take this step forward."

"I have no doubt, young prince." She loosens the bandana on her head and removes it, easing the surrounding air of the tension she once exuded. "By your leave, sire; I must assist my comrades." He nods to her, but says nothing, silently bidding her farewell and good luck. Returning to the second floor, the party makes way for the first section of the Toxipede gauntlet, where their FOE awaits them. Valerie steps directly into the creature's line of sight and points a finger at it. "Lo, warrior of insect kind; we challenge you to mortal combat!" The Toxipede nods and takes a step backwards; it then assumes a threatening stance and roars to the sky. A single bead of sweat rolls down the side of Valerie's head as she draws her scythe. "Didn't know caterpillars could roar…" Her eyes don their glow, signaling Miasma Armor's activation.

Cyrus conjures his left arm and removes his katana's sheath from its holster to freely hold onto it. "Lissa, deploy a bunker." Glancing back, he can see that Clarisse has borrowed Fae's Sequoian Bow. "Clarisse, use Aegis Prayer; that'll save Lissa some time." Amy attempts to disable the Toxipede's head by giving it a concussion, but this does not work. Valerie's attempts to use Paralyzing Reap are likewise met with failure. Fortunately for them, the Toxipede is much too busy attacking the bunker Lissa has deployed. Cyrus and Clarisse can't help but laugh at the new design, which features Lissa still in her pajamas, but this time with a bag of groceries spilling its contents onto the ground as she worriedly tries to decide between picking herself up and her produce.

"You two better hope the FOE puts you in the hospital, because if it doesn't, I will!"

Clarisse ignores this threat in favor of firing an arrow at the Toxipede's legs. Though she misses the mark, Balto follows up by charging into the fray from the FOE's blind spot. From here, he takes a vine and circles around the caterpillar in order to tie up some of its legs; his efforts are successful, and give Cyrus an opportunity to cause a breach in the creature's defenses. He suddenly finds himself imbued with energy, courtesy of Amy.

"Nii-chan, you're gonna take damage every time you act while that buff is active. Be careful."

He rests his hand on his now sheathed katana. After taking a deep breath and exhaling, he says, "Then I'll have to make every strike count; Clarisse, Balto, watch my back."

Balto's reply sounds as a howl to most of the party, but Clarisse and Cyrus understand him perfectly. "You can count on my support!"

As Lissa deploys a second bunker, Valerie envelops the party's enemy in a thick miasma that seems to sap it of its combat strength. Cyrus and Amy combine forces with a Union Skill to attack the beast, but this serves to pull its attention away from the bunkers. Seeing that Cyrus is somehow acquiring injuries from seemingly nowhere, it opts to strike him after his Haze Slash proves to be ineffective at putting it to sleep. The headbutt sends Cyrus rolling along the grass, leaving a faint trail of blood as he does so, but the man stands back up. Despite rising in defiance, he falls back to one knee, needing his katana to support him as a crutch.

"That was a pretty good shot, Toxipede."

"You humans sure are resilient. Don't expect to survive a second time."

Balto and Clarisse rush over to heal Cyrus' wounds while Amy and Valerie keep their foe occupied. Lissa takes to the vanguard to serve as the party's shield; this proves to be a good call, for the Toxipede attempts to commit to its previous threat by trying to deliver a finishing strike to Cyrus. Lissa meets this attack with her shield and drives the creature backwards. Valerie extends the duration of her armor before attempting another Paralyzing Reap. This, too, is met with failure, as are Amy's repeated attempts at disabling the creature's use of Poison Fang. Though no one has been struck by this attack, she'd rather eliminate it as a concern altogether.

The frustration on her face is readily apparent, though she's been silent for the entire encounter. ' _Damn it, why can't I land these binds?!_ ' Seeing that the creature is growing too weak to continue, she abandons the idea and joins the others in an all-out assault. The Toxipede falls shortly after, giving a dying roar to the sky above before hitting the forest ground with a heavy thud. Amy sighs, staring at her clenched fist in disappointment. She then feels a hand rest on her shoulder, and looks to see that her addressor is Cyrus. "I don't get it, Cyrus; I really don't."

"They're FOEs, Amy; they always boast incredible ailment resistances. Valerie and I couldn't land our respective ailments either, so you shouldn't feel so bad about this."

"But I need to improve; a bind landing could mean the difference between life and death."

"Give it time, Amy; it's a process with these things." After assessing the damage of his party, he offers a suggestion. "We'll be burning some resources, but let's head to the third floor and find a Colossal Roper to defeat." His face scrunches up into a frown as he glances away from his comrades. "We have to procure another Thick Vine." The others don't quite understand why he's so upset, but roll with his decision regardless. They soon return to Iorys with the means of completing both quests. Stepping into the Twilight Tavern, Mirina and the other patrons can feel a dramatic shift in the tavern's atmosphere when Cyrus steps in with the Thick Vine in his grip.

Everyone sits in silence, waiting to see what this man might do. He strides over to Mirina and holds the vine out to her. "Oh, that was fast; you don't look so good."

"In my haste and ire, mistakes were made. We took care of the Toxipede as well." He then presents a metal pincer as proof, to which Mirina nods. The party's reward consists of three additional Volt Jars and an Amrita. Cyrus's face brightens at the sight of the latter. "Ooh, any idea when we can start farming for these?"

"Um…no, actually; I haven't a clue. Amrita is currently pretty hard to come by." Cyrus' shoulders droop into a slump, which causes Mirina to laugh before she pats him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll make do. That said, I think you guys could use a break." To her surprise, Cyrus actually agrees, and bids her farewell before departing with the rest of his party, presumably to retire at Jenetta's Inn. ' _Must have been one Hell of a fight…_ ' She looks down at the clipboard in her hand to see that, at some point, Cyrus scribed a written acceptance of the quest concerning Jenetta. ' _When the Hell did he…_ '

The materials that are now safe to sell are left with Syrik. New gear can be crafted with the Toxipede's materials, but the Guild lacks the funds to commit to the purchase. Returning to the inn, the party finds Jenetta busy playing with Fae and a housecat. Balto walks over, garnering the attention of the feline. A moment passes in silence as the two stare at each other before the cat gives an affable meow and nuzzles his cheek against Balto's. Cyrus, Amy, and Valerie gush at this, taken aback by how charming the scene is.

"Welcome home, everyone~ boy, do you look tired."

Cyrus waves this off. "Mistakes were made. We accepted your sister's request, by the way."

"Huh?" Her face shifts to show surprise, though her eyes still don't open. "Oh, that woman…I can handle myself in the Labyrinth; so what if I sometimes get lost for a week?"

Fae adopts an inquisitive expression at this. "Why does that happen?"

"Oh, I can't read maps, Fae; I never told you?" The others look to her, astonished by this revelation. "Ah, who cares about that? Nothing good ol' intuition can't solve. I'm a strong, independent woman…who don't need no maps~"

Fae is the first to reject this line of thinking. She balls her fists and brings them close her chest as she looks to Cyrus. "We have to protect her!" He nods in reply, citing that Jenetta is much too precious to lose. Fae gives two nods of her own. "Uncle gets it!"

Looking to Jenetta, Cyrus says, "I assume you need Forest Honey." Jenetta nods, surprised he was able to guess the right ingredient. "We've discovered a place that would be a useful gathering spot, but it's dangerous; capable though we are, I wouldn't allow anyone in Seekers to go alone." He shakes his head, reaffirming his stance with a serious expression. "We shall accompany you, Jenetta; no friend travels alone."

"Alright then."

He reels back, not sure how to react. "Really? You're fine with this?"

"Sure~ I mean, you're just trying to help; no need for me to be stubborn." She smiles and looks around before saying, "There are some things I need to prepare, so I can just meet you at the third floor, right?"

"Sure. I'm a little tired, but the Chain Team can handle this." He hands his katana to Amy before snapping his fingers to conjure a portal of darkness. From this, he pulls his regular sword and secures it behind his waist. "I appreciate it, sister; thank you."

"Uh huh. Be safe out there, nii-chan."

After assembling the remainder of the Chain Team, Cyrus makes way for the third floor. They take a seat not too far away from the staircase in order to await Jenetta's arrival. Their wait is not long, for Jenetta arrives on the scene, out of breath and panting. "Sorry for the wait. Let's make like a tree and leaf! I'll follow behind you all so I don't get in the way." The party's trek begins in silence, with Cyrus unfurling the map to direct everyone's attention to the room with the beehive located in D2 and E2. "That's a detailed map…how do you keep track of it all?"

Cyrus chuckles at this, proud of his cartography skills. "It helps to have drawn over 50 of them over the course of my career."

"Goodness, 50?! You were on map duty for all of your previous adventures then, right?" He nods, but does specify that he never drew maps of the Fourth Stratum in Etria due to having been rendered catatonic. "Catatonic? What could have happened?"

"It's…a long story, with an ending I consider tragic. I'd…prefer to keep it under wraps."

She nods. "I understand. Please cheer up…"

Just as the group arrives at the door, a guardsman calls out for them to halt. "Careful there, explorers; a dangerous Owl Beast has claimed this room as its own."

Fiona brings her palm to her face. "They didn't wait for us to reach the next Stratum. We undoubtedly will have to face the Owl Beast for the Forest Honey."

"That's why you're here? All the more reason to leave; the Owl Beast fiercely guards its honey supply, as I'm sure you're aware. Our scouts claim this beast is pregnant, and is likely guarding this stash so securely to have food for its imminent young." Cyrus and Gwenivere go pale at this, though not for the reasons the guardsman thinks. "I will not stop you if you proceed forward, but please understand the danger and consider retreating."

He takes his leave shortly after, leaving the party to make the final decision on their own. Looking to his pale comrades, Hayato can only ask, "Are you two unwell? Should we turn back?"

Gwenivere turns to her husband and asks, "Do you suppose there is a way to distract the beast?"

"Unlikely." He sighs, his distress growing more apparent. "I've always hated missions like this." Fae's expression is equally wreathed in sadness; she asks if they really have to kill the Owl beast and her child, to which Cyrus hesitates. "I certainly don't want to, Fae; we'll need a plan." When he turns towards the door, he finds that it has already been opened. Worse still, Jenetta is running straight towards the Owl Beast. "Wait, what? Oh…" Then it hits him, as well as the rest of the party. "Oh shit, no! Jenetta!"

"Hello, Mrs. Bearnstein!" Surprisingly, the Owl beast turns around without throwing a punch. Instead, she looks just as surprised as the Seekers. "If it's alright with you, would you please share a bit of honey with us?" The Owl Beast stares at her, dumbfounded. In the background, she can see the Seekers' mortified expressions, as well as the gestures accentuating the severity of the situation. "I know you're only feeding your baby, but I need honey to invent a new type of toast to serve at my family's inn…"

' _Is this rabbit serious?_ ' The Owl Beast is incapable of processing this situation.

"The fate of breakfast itself depends on it. Please, bear with me and share your honey! Help a sister out!"

' _Oh, she makes puns, too?! Now she has to die._ '

Knowing how this will end, Cyrus rushes ahead just as the Owl Beast rears her fist back. Jenetta doesn't realize what's about to happen until she's already in Cyrus' embrace and being pulled out of punching range. He sets her down as Fiona joins him on the front line. "M- Mrs. Bearnstein, no! Oh dear…is there no other way but to fight?!"

Drawing his sword, Cyrus calls for a defensive start to the battle. "Jenetta, keep your guard up; we won't have any room in the back row, but I'll watch out for you."

He's not entirely sure she heard him, for she's currently busy growling at the Owl beast. "…Fine, then! I'll take you on! I always wanted to become an adventurer, anyway~"

' _Sweet merciful gods; please save us._ '

"I had to quit because my sisters were worried about me, but now…I finally have the right to bear arms!"

"The pun-maker must die!"

"Challenge accepted, Mrs. Bearnstein!"

Fiona and Fae momentarily trade places so that the former can receive the effects of Gwenivere's Amplifier. Once at the fore, Fae fires an arrow to the sky to trigger Aegis Prayer. Hayato, under Cyrus' order, summons a cyan card that leaves a trail of frost as it motions through the air. He triggers the effects of this card, imbuing his allies' weapons with an ice effect. As Fiona motions to return to the front line, he then summons another card to cast Ruinous Prayer. The Owl Beast is making a move, motioning into a bear hug. "Fae, look out!"

His warning comes too late, resulting in Fae being scooped into the grab of the bear. She screams upon seeing the beast's face up close, and starts aimlessly kicking her feet to escape. Before the beast can crush the child in her grip, Cyrus motions into the creature's blind spot and stabs out one of her eyes. Fae is dropped, falling into Cyrus' grip before he makes a retreat. He sets her down, noting that her form has been pressed, but her life is in no danger. "Fall back and heal."

"But what about helping Fiona?"

"You can still contribute with Double Attack; your life is more important. We're out of Nectars, so we can't take any more risks." The first volley is unleashed after Cyrus draws the beast's attention and deftly ducks to avoid a punch aimed at his head. In the delay on the beast pulling back her arm, he makes note of how slow her actions are, and delivers a thrust to the Owl Beast's bicep. Fiona follows up with a frost-imbued thrust of her rapier. This frigid dance continues until the Seekers pull back to assess their progress; the beast does not look terribly damaged. "No one ever said it'd be easy…"

Jenetta, despite her best efforts to stay out of harm's way, ends up held in the embrace of a bear hug. Cyrus is slapped to the side to keep him from interfering a second time, but the beast fails to strike Fiona in turn, allowing the second Fencer a chance at stabbing into her arms. The pain causes the Owl Beast to drop Jenetta, who makes an effort to punch her assailant in the gut. "Hiyah!" The punch does basically nothing, even with the effects of Hail Prayer in place, but it does grant Fiona another attack to fuel her use of Chain Freeze. Jenetta can only let out a "Whoa," as Cyrus grabs her by the waist and jumps to safety.

The owl ceases her assault, albeit only for a moment, in order to glare at the party. Somehow, this disperses the effects of Aegis Prayer, causing Cyrus to grit his teeth. ' _We need a plan…_ ' He, Fae, and Hayato are running out of energy, which he is quick to note. ' _I'll have to try this one more time._ ' He looks to Fiona, who nods in response of his unspoken plan. Their bodies briefly emit white flashes as they prepare to use Double Attack. "Fae, use Aegis Prayer again! Lord Hayato, set up the Ruinous Prayer and use Mana Heal!"

To enact this order properly, Hayato is the first to act. He calls upon Fae, Jenetta, and Gwenivere to join him in a brief prayer that restores the party's combat stamina. Immediately after this, Fiona and Cyrus attack the Owl Beast in tandem, deterring their foe from approaching the four left defenseless as a result of their prayer. Though the Ruinous Prayer overwrites the effect of Hail Prayer from half the group, that half consists of Fiona, Gwenivere, and Hayato, all of whom can assist Fiona without need of the ice effect. Hayato acknowledges that he'll be doing slightly less damage, but this trade-off is acceptable.

Pulling a bomb from her bag, Fae runs towards a superior vantage point as she shouts to Cyrus. "Uncle, try using Optic Thrust again!"

He nods to her, before motioning to his own vantage point. "Jenetta, keep guarding for a bit longer!" She complies with this order, hanging back instead of charging in for another punch. The Owl beast proves to be too distracted by Fae to notice Cyrus' ploy. ' _Big mistake._ ' He stabs into her other eye, rendering it just as useless as the first. ' _She'll have to rely entirely on instinct now; we must finish her before then._ ' He tosses a Medica to Jenetta. "Team! Go all out!"

The Owl Beast charges for the direct from whence Cyrus' attack came, but he is not there. Unfortunately, the beast does not relent on her momentum, and ultimately crashes into Hayato, who loses consciousness immediately. Sensing another body nearby, the Owl Beast lashes out at Gwenivere as well, but she dodges by gracefully bending backwards before transitioning into a backflip. She glances to Fae. "The last of your strength must be used to revive Lord Hayato." She dodges another claw swipe, this time by jumping onto the Owl Beast's arm and firing an Icicle Lance at her shoulder. She jumps off, goading the beast into attacking her to give Fae a clearer shot at Hayato.

Cyrus dashes over to Gwenivere's side, carrying his momentum to block the Owl Beast's next strike with his blade. Hayato is properly revived, allowing the Seekers the final push they need to finish the encounter. With one final thrust from Fiona, courtesy of the opening created by Jenetta's punch, the Owl Beast succumbs to her wounds and falls to the ground, breathing her last. The party convenes at the room's entrance, letting out collective sighs of relief upon confirming everyone's safety.

Jenetta bows in apology. "I thought I could get through to her…" Glancing to the fallen Owl Beast, she can see a nest full of eggs sitting comfortably beneath the beehive. "Oh…the babies will be alright?" She lets out a loud sigh of relief, right alongside Cyrus and Gwenivere. "That worked out…"

Letting out another sigh, Cyrus can't help but smile, albeit one tinged with sadness. "I'd rather we didn't have to kill the mother, but baby monsters have proven to be quite resilient."

Gwenivere nods to this, crossing her arms as she says, "If the cub…chicks are even a fraction as strong as their mother, they'll surely find their way." She approaches the beehive and notices something peculiar; "All of the bees within have departed; we are free to haul the entire hive back to Iorys."

Jenetta smiles at this as she brings her hands together. "Oh what luck! I guess that's the end of our honey hunt for now, my dear guests. Though short, it was certainly sweet!" Hayato and Fiona groan in exasperation. Jenetta has a laugh at their expense before warping out of the Labyrinth using an Ariadne Thread.

Fae lets out a sigh of her own, finally letting her shoulders slump. "Good thing she had her own Thread; I don't think we could take her back like this."

Cyrus chuckles at this before lifting Fae to rest her on his back. "You did well, Fae; I'm proud of you." She giggles, but says nothing as she rests her head on his back. "That extends to all of you. Excellent work, Seekers. Let's head back." When they return to the Twilight Tavern, Mirina wears an expression that suggests she is infuriated. "M- Matron? Whatever is the matter?"

"Oh! You're back!" She rushes over to the Seekers, noting their exhaustion and some of the wounds that have yet to heal. Her ire shifts to concern accentuated by a tinge of regret. "Jenetta told me what happened; her sister never mentioned an Owl Beast when putting up the request so I thought it was nothing but a fetch quest."

Gwenivere giggles at this, amused by the tavern owner's sincere display of worry. "We are fine, Mirina; please, fret no longer. It is ill-fit for one of your visage."

"Oh no, Gwen, this is serious. The pay didn't fit the truth of the job description, so I insisted she cough up extra. You wanna know what she said?" Gwenivere raises an eyebrow to this; though intrigued, she can't fathom a guess. "She said, 'No pain, no gain.' The gall!" She sighs in frustration. "My hands are tied with this one; I'm sorry."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "It's no trouble, Matron." He is then handed the Guild's reward – a firearm custom-designed to fire rounds that temporarily rob the target of its vision. Cyrus frowns at this. "OK, Jenetta's sister could have at least given this to her sister before she departed. This…this would have helped…a lot." He sighs, chuckling to himself shortly afterwards before securing the Pepper Cannon with the rest of the Guild's belongings. Looking to Mirina, he says, "Pleasure working with you, as ever. We'd love to stay and chat, perhaps even wine and dine, but we…" He groans as one of his injuries makes its presence known. "We need a serious rest."

She nods to him, and then bids the Seekers farewell. Before heading back to the inn, the Guild makes way for Syrik's stall to sell the feather earned from the Owl Beast. As they leave, they notice that the sun is still high in the sky, given that the present time is only 1PM. Acknowledging this, Fiona asks, "Shall we start the fifth floor after our respite?" The party agrees, even somehow receiving the response of the sleeping Fae. "We'll run the plan over later, then."


	11. The House of Gryphon

**Chapter 11: The House of Gryphon**

The Seekers' extended break ends as the hour strikes 7PM. The Chain Team assembles and returns to the Twilight Tavern, where three more quests await them. Handing the clipboard to Cyrus, Mirina explains each quest in sequence. "The quest up top might be a bit rough, so my apologies in advance. The request tasks you with locating someone; you can get the details from the fella with the monocle over there." She jabs a thumb towards a table where a lone gentleman sits; once she's seen the party's assent, she moves on to the next quest. "The next one comes from a local carpenter. The furniture she makes from Yggdrasil lumber has become popular."

Gwenivere puts a finger to her cheek, directing her attention to the ceiling to piece together where she's heard this story prior. Looking to Mirina instead, she asks, "Are you by chance referring to the woman who was recently beset by beasts?" Mirina nods. "I see. Then her chopping ground has been taken over by a horde of monsters."

"That's right. More specifically, they made a nest in the trees that the carpenter needs to chop down."

Gwenivere winces at this. "Now that's just plain vexing."

"Could you show me your map?" Cyrus unfurls the barren map of the fifth floor on the nearby table. "To be honest, I'm surprised it's this blank; part of me expected to see a secret area mapped out." She marks a spot located in E6. "There you go; that's where you'll find the trees." She then hands Fiona some sort of spherical explosive, as well as some bait specialized to attract monsters.

Fae adopts a distressed countenance, taking to hiding behind Hayato. "This looks complicated…"

Hayato taps his fist to his chest. "No worries, Fae; leave this one to us."

"The procedure is kinda complicated, so keep your ears open. You'll need that bait to draw the monsters from the nest. It's best placed a little ways off. There's a pillar that you'll see upon stepping into this area; that'll be your next destination. You'll need to start a fire, one that scorches the middle of this pillar."

Fiona raises an eyebrow at this. "That must be one sturdy tree if you have to use a preliminary flame before an explosive."

"Yep. The heat is there to make the surface crumble; the explosive is meant to be placed inside. The nest will collapse with the rest of the structure, and that'll be the end of it." She looks to Hayato, a smile on her face as she watches him scribble away in a notebook. "Do you need me to repeat anything, little prince?"

"That's quite alright, Mirina; I have this covered." He puts his notebook away, as well as his glasses. "There's one more quest, right?"

"Yes. Quick question; do you all handle your own cooking? I know Cyrus is a chef, but…"

Cyrus smiles, chuckling before he says, "I handle most of the cooking while we're in the Labyrinth, but Lissa, Clarisse, and Valerie aren't slouches. Amy makes the best sweets; satisfaction guaranteed."

"Perhaps I should hire your Guild to work here. I promise good pay."

Fae giggles. "Mr. Syrik made the same offer. Do you need us to cook something now?"

"Oh, no. The last quest on the list comes from a chef; he wants the help of explorers to gather an ingredient for a new dish he's preparing." Seeing Cyrus' ghastly expression, she reels back. "Cyrus? What's wrong? Are you OK?"

He shakes his head furiously in a desperate attempt to rid himself of past memories. "There was…a gourmet who threw out some requests in Etria. The things he asked for, Matron…"

"This…might not be the quest for you, then. The ingredient this chef is asking for is a Scarlet Carapace, which comes from the Iron Crustacean."

Gwenivere looks to her and asks, "Do you mean…the lobster FOE?" Mirina nods. "Bugger me." She sighs, holding her forehead in her hand as she shakes it in distress. "We barely managed to defeat the Owl Beast before our reserves were depleted."

Handing the clipboard back to Mirina, Cyrus says, "We'll handle them all, but that encounter with the Iron Crustacean might take a day or two."

"That's fine; there's no rush. Just stay safe out there. Are you heading to the Labyrinth now?" The party nods in unison, to which Mirina gives a look of concern, one that is notably focused on Fae. "How are Fae's studies coming along? Is she getting proper sleep?"

"Mean ol' Aunt Gwen makes sure I study every day, and Uncle Cyrus makes sure I get plenty of rest…even when it slows the Guild down." Cyrus pats her on the head, causing her to blush. Without looking at him, she knows what he's going to say next. "He always tells me not to worry about it, but I don't wanna be a burden."

Mirina crouches down to look the child in the eyes. A warm and gentle smile rests upon her face, and though her red eyes can make her seem intimidating, right now Fae can only see kindness within them. "Cyrus isn't the type of person to see you as a burden; I'm quite certain that the party wouldn't be where it is if you weren't with them every step of the way."

"Uncle Cyrus said the same thing…"

"See? That's how you know it's true."

Gwenivere smiles down at the child, but this is quickly replaced with bewilderment as she realizes something. "Hold a moment…Fae, sweetie, are you saying I'm the mean one?" Fae shoots a pout in her direction as a response. "I do not understand. Ha- Have I offended?"

"Studying is boring."

"Well I never; I happen to think my lessons are well-structured for your needs."

"Well…yeah, I mean, I learn a lot from you, and you explain things super well, but it still feels like school work, so it's super boring." Gwenivere takes a step back at this, a look of ghastly shock overtaking her as she rests a hand on her chest. Fae sees this and takes a moment to think of a reply. "I didn't mean to call you mean, you're super nice to me, and I love how you always play with me when I ask you to!"

"But my lessons…they bore you? And you think I'm old?"

"N- No. You are older than me, but you're really pretty." Pointing at Cyrus, she follows, "Uncle Cyrus thinks so, too. One time he said that seeing your face is sometimes the only reason he gets out of bed in the morning. Something about…needing someone only he could protect – whatever that means. You didn't know?"

"No, Cyrus…never mentioned that." She looks to her husband, who has turned away in embarrassment. She sighs at this, unable to hide the smile on her face. "Now that I know where you stand, I must endeavor to make your lessons enjoyable. You'll better retain the knowledge if you are properly invested."

"You'll make the lessons more fun? Promise?" Gwenivere nods, causing the child to motion into a lunging hug. "Yay~"

Before leaving, the Seekers approach the table where the monocle-wearing gentleman awaits. Taking note of their presence, he looks to them and asks, "Might you be the sports who accepted my request?" Upon seeing their confirmation, he nods and follows, "Excellent. Let us not tarry. I have a daughter who was being tutored in the disciplines befitting a lady of the nobility…until she ran away from home. She became an explorer, of all things. No offense to your group, but can you believe such a thing?"

Gwenivere crosses her arms to this, adopting a curious countenance. "I take it your house places more importance on finery and such?"

"Indeed, young lady. Now that I look at you, you strike me as a woman of status, and yet you, too, are an explorer?"

"The customs of my family are quite different from what nobles of this world consider standard. I hail from a house that values strength in all forms. If you cannot excel at the academic arts, then you need only find something that caters to your strengths and then integrate it to serve the family."

"How curious. What of the path you have taken?"

"I walk the path of the warrior, like my aunt before me. Though I took all of my studies quite seriously, there is nothing more satisfying than instilling my subjects with confidence and pride through my combat merit." Gesturing over to Cyrus, she says, "I have this man to thank for a significant portion of my success, as well as helping me realize my true calling. We shall see to your daughter, but I ask that you keep my words in mind. Now, what can you tell us about her?"

"Yes, well, knowing my daughter, she's likely changed her hairstyle to avoid those familiar with her. I have heard mention from local Guilds of an explorer spotted in the Labyrinth, one who wears a helmet emblazoned with a gryphon emblem – that is our house's coat of arms. This explorer could very well be my daughter."

Cyrus holds his chin in his hand, assuming a contemplative stance. "A helm to completely conceal one's identity. Were she trying to avoid recognition, I surmise that your daughter would have chosen something less identifiable."

Carrying this thought, Fiona adds, "It is likely that she wishes to bring pride to the family name through exploration. Gaining acclaim in Yggdrasil grants one all sorts of attention and opportunities."

"Are you insinuating that my daughter has done this because she believes exploration would turn superior profit?"

Cyrus nods. "That is certainly possible. We shall set out to look for her at once." The party departs from the Twilight Tavern to make way for Yggdrasil. Arriving at the fifth floor, the Seekers are met with a wide expanse. A stone pillar can be seen to the west, though the monument corresponding to it cannot be seen from their current vantage. Looking to the map, what very little has been charted, Cyrus stands at a loss. "Which way would you all prefer to take?" Everyone except Gwenivere chooses to go east. Cyrus shrugs to this. "East it is."

Heading in this direction leads the Seekers to travel around the structure housing the descending staircase. Across a lake, the party can see two bronze statues similar in design to the ones marking the Stratum's shortcuts. Observing these from afar, Gwenivere says, "Something tells me that these statues are relevant somehow." Cyrus and Fiona take one look at the statues and comments on how they're more than likely used for a gimmick concerning the Stratum Boss. Noting the venom lacing their words, she looks to them and says, "You two must have a bad history with such things."

Fiona groans. "Narmer was a pain in the ass; too many mud puddles to wade through, and in my heavy armor no less." The path on which they travel soon leads to a Chop Point, along with the exit-end of two future shortcuts. Though the Seekers elect to leave the Chop Point alone for now, its location is properly marked for later. "Cyrus, you and I need to upgrade our swords pretty soon; these likely won't cut it for the Stratum Boss."

"Indeed. I plan to purchase that Amud Staff for Milady as well. The aether I sensed flowing from it was incredible; though she'll be losing the spare reserve provided by the Lactarius Staff, the increase in damage should more than make up for it." Making their way back to the floor's entrance, the party is beset by a trio of creatures, one of which causes Fae to let out a terrified shriek. Before them, stationed between two Forest Turtles, is some sort of large rabbit with featureless orange eyes. "By the gods…" He motions for Fae to retreat behind him; "Ready a poison smoke bomb."

She nods to this and falls back, pulling a bomb from her bag. The giant hare makes an effort to run past Cyrus, only to have one of its eyes stabbed out in the process. Fae tosses her bomb at the turtles, successfully poisoning them but the hare breaks past Cyrus and lunges for the girl. She can see its bared incisors barreling towards her as the creature draws closer. The fear of the imminent impact is too much, causing her to lose consciousness on the spot. To her benefit, her body falling to the grass prevents the hare from actually damaging her, causing it to crash on the grass.

Readying his bow, Hayato takes aim at the hare. "We need to take out that rabbit!" A single fireball is launched from Gwenivere, leaving the rest of the party with no time to react. The hare is immolated instantly, with the splash damage cooking the ailing turtles from within. Cyrus rushes over to resuscitate Fae, who regains consciousness after just a few minutes.

"W- What happened?"

Cyrus breathes a sigh of relief as Gwenivere crouches beside him. "You almost took a nasty attack, Fae; I'm glad you're alright."

"That rabbit was really scary." She embraces Gwenivere out of reflex, not even realizing that she's trembling.

Gwenivere rubs her hand against the child's back, soothing her after the harrowing encounter. "Hush now, sweetie; that monster won't have another chance to harm you."

Fiona lets out a distressed sigh. "I thought we were done with those damn rabbits. Fae, do you wish to head back to the inn?"

She pulls away from Gwenivere to quickly shake her head. "N- No, I can still explore!"

Cyrus rises to his feet, exhaling as he does so. "Fae, stay close to Lady Gwenivere, and try to avoid the front lines." She nods to him, but says nothing further. Progressing forward, the party marks the location of two monuments, both of which need to be rotated in order for progress to continue. As they near the patrol ground of two Iron Crustaceans, they are attacked by a lone Colossal Roper. "At least you're by yourself."

The Roper fails to even strike the party before being felled in combat. The pair of Iron Crustaceans proves to be simple to avoid, for they are both patrolling the same perimeter. The timing is somewhat strict, but the Seekers proceed through the narrow walkways unimpeded. One of the monuments previously rotated must be rotated once more, now that the there is a stone pillar blocking the path. Up ahead is another stone pillar, but its corresponding monument is close by. A Toxipede can be seen patrolling the path in line with the stone pillar, which gives Fiona an idea.

After rotating the pillar to lower it, she waits for the Toxipede to pass by so that she can raise it once more. She chuckles to herself. "That treasure chest is as good as ours." After traversing the narrow path surrounded by water, the treasure chest in question lies before the party, ready to have its contents pilfered. Fiona obliges, and pulls a sheathed katana from the chest. Handing it to Cyrus, she says, "You and Lady Gwenivere are the resident experts here."

Cyrus removes the blade from its sheath to study the craft. Joining him, Gwenivere comments on the composition. "That's a fine polish. The blade is quite slim, and surprisingly straight. I do believe this weapon is intended to disable the arms of an opponent." Cyrus returns the katana to its sheath, shortly thereafter placing the new weapon amongst the Guild's belongings. A nearby shortcut is unlocked, leaving only one more that leads to the Chop Point the party discovered before.

The way forward leads to the north-western edge of the map. Up here is a door, which the party proceeds through. They are immediately met with a rotating monument, as well as two places from which connected pillars can rise or sink. For some strange reason, one such pillar is located near the door; its positioning strikes the party as strange. Hayato looks to it, perplexed. "What purpose could that pillar possibly serve?" Upon rotating the monument, he is given an inkling of his answer. An Owl Beast was waiting in silence behind the risen pillar, likely in an effort to catch unsuspecting prey.

With its cover now blown, the creature abandons pretense and readies itself to charge at the Seekers. Fae rotates the monument, raising the pillar directly in front of the Owl Beast so that it cannot proceed towards them. "Can w- can we wait a minute? That scared me…"

Cyrus groans, looking the night sky above as a sardonic smile forms on his face. "I don't wanna do this either, Fae." After a few minutes of self-collection, he looks to her and asks, "Ready now?" She nods, prompting him to hold his hand out to the monument. "Get ready, Seekers." With a touch of the hand, the monument rotates once more, allowing the Owl Beast a second chance at attacking the Seekers. They run the creature around the now risen pillar close to the entrance they used, but the chase proves to be far too close for comfort. They escape through another door awaiting them beyond the unbarred path, and endeavor to catch their breath now that the Owl beast can't reach them. "By the gods."

Within this room are several more ponds, along with a Take Point. Further exploration reveals that this room also connects with the Chop Point close to the staircase, granting the Seekers a checkpoint. Fae lets out a yawn and stretches her arms, only just now realizing how tired she is. "What time is it?"

Cyrus closes his eyes to focus for a moment before saying, "Bugger me, it's almost 3AM. We unlocked this shortcut, so let's call it a night." The following morning proves to be a far less groggy awakening for the party than the previous one. Before setting out, Cyrus uses some of the ingredients procured by the party to cook some pancakes, which he secures as rations for the upcoming trek through Yggdrasil. ' _That should leave us set for this trip; these came out quite well, too – nice and fluffy._ '

The Chain Team returns to the fifth floor without further delay, immediately proceeding to where their journey was cut short. Not far from the shortcut, the party can hear the breathing of nearby beasts. They take cover and observe the situation, soon reaching an understanding that the advantage is theirs. The party looks to Cyrus, deciding that his call will be their ultimate decision. Even though the day has just begun, and the party is at full strength, he deems this encounter not worth the resources, and suggests the party retreat.

Though his idea is sound, Gwenivere accidentally steps on a dry twig, causing a loud snap to ring through the immediate area. The beasts hear this and motion to attack without delay, reversing the advantage on the Seekers. Two Wild Dogs occupy the vanguard while a Man-eating Hare stands at the back row. Despite being at a disadvantage, the Seekers make short work of this encounter, largely in thanks to Fae's well-thrown smoke bomb that blinded the Wild Dogs. The party claims their spoils and take their leave, heading north towards a new door.

Beyond this door is an expanse sharing the same space as the area with the Owl Beast. Before rotating any of the monuments within, the party performs a cursory investigation of the area. A dead end is reached, one where Gwenivere directs everyone's attention to a boulder covered in moss. "I detect a flow of aether from this boulder." She draws closer and brushes away some of the moss, revealing ancient runes carved into the boulder. "These runes are quite old indeed, but I believe I can translate them. Cyrus, assist me."

He complies without hesitation, silently stepping over to her side to study the runes. It takes a few minutes, but the message is eventually translated: "To future explorers – Treasure awaits at the waterfront, by the downward stairs. Good luck, new adventurers!"

The party notes this information for later and continues on with the exploration. The next room, which lies beyond a simple rotation puzzle, is an even larger expanse filled with more stone pillars and their respective monuments. Before interacting with all of them, Cyrus spends an hour or so scoping the area to get a proper lay of the land. He studies the map he's charted, and soon reaches the solution to the treasure chest that Fiona has been eyeing ever since the party stepped in here. The contents of this chest, a sum of 800 ental, bring a smile to his face.

With nothing left to do in this room, the party presses onward. The next room is yet another large expanse, though there don't appear to be any monuments nearby. Towards the water's edge, Fae points to some discarded equipment, all of which looks quite battered. She grows nervous at the sight, pointing out the gryphon-emblazoned helmet. "Is…is that blood?" Beside the helm is a sword that has been stabbed into the ground, akin to a grave marker. As Cyrus and Fiona approach the helmet to retrieve it, Fae notices something rustling in the bushes. "Look out!"

Her warning comes too late, allowing a pair of hares to tackle the two. They recover quickly enough, and then set out to dispatch these creatures. Cyrus is knocked out during the course of the encounter as a result of being struck by one of the hares as he was busy blinding another. Gwenivere endeavored to administer a Medica to handle his previous injury, but she was too late. He regains consciousness in time to see Gwenivere finish the encounter by setting the remaining hare ablaze with a fireball. Having been blinded by Cyrus mere moments prior, the creature never saw it coming.

Fiona takes possession of the helmet and secures it alongside the Guild's essentials. Looking to Cyrus, she frowns. "That hit you took was meant for me, wasn't it?"

He groans, needing a bit of assistance from Fae to sit up properly. "I was hasty and left myself wide open. The hare likely ceased its advance towards you because it saw an easier target." Rising to his feet, he thanks Fae for her treatment before walking over to the embedded sword. He takes a knee and offers a prayer, prompting the rest of his allies to do the same. "We'll turn this helmet in as soon as we're done here."

Beyond this grave is a Mine Point, one that the Seekers elect to skip over for the moment. Two more inactive statues rest adjacent to a sunken pillar, one that is soon raised by the party. Observing this, Hayato asks, "Do you think those things might activate and try to assist the Boss?"

Cyrus nods and replies, "That's sort of what Fiona and I expect to happen. Before taking on the Stratum Boss, we should endeavor to cut off as many of these statues as possible. The fight could be a long one." He looks to the east, towards the edge of the room. "I believe that is our destination for Matron Mirina's quest."

The destination is a simple monster den comprised of a crude framework of wood; leaves are piled on to keep out the chill of the night. Cyrus takes out the meat the party is meant to use as bait and gains some distance from the entrance. After placing it, he and his party take refuge in a nearby bush to hide from the monsters. With the slew of creatures occupied, they return to the nest, but check inside to make sure no stragglers remained behind. The coast is clear, allowing them to proceed to the next step.

Gwenivere uses fire magic to scorch the pillar's center until the surface crumbles off completely. She holds out her hand and asks for the bomb, which Hayato hands over to her. After securing the bomb's placement, she lights the fuse and jumps down to rejoin the others as they distance themselves from the impending blast radius. As predicted, the nest is decimated by the explosion; the monsters, in acknowledgement of this devastation, flee the scene. The quest is complete, leaving the Seekers to procure the Copper Ingot from the nearby treasure chest and continue forward.

Stepping into the next room, they are greeted with an atrium housing the shortcut leading back to the staircase, as well as a door. The party unlocks the shortcut and approaches the door. A powerful presence can be felt lurking beyond, one that causes Cyrus and Fiona to shake their heads. The latter looks to her comrades and says, "The Boss of the Tutelary Forest lies beyond this door; let us return to Iorys and prepare."

Their first stop upon warping out of the Labyrinth is the Twilight Tavern. The noble who gave them their quest is here again tonight, and looks to them expectantly. Upon seeing the helmet, his expression twists to show horror. "No…by the great tree, say it isn't so…" Cyrus hands the helmet over to the man, saying nothing in favor of allowing the patron to properly take in the moment. He runs a hand over the surface of the helmet, his expression almost nostalgic. "She always was a strong sort; it's not surprising she made it to the fifth floor. Perhaps…perhaps I should have listened to her requests and properly trained her."

Gwenivere steps forward, her own countenance mirroring the noble's. "You wanted her to avoid a dangerous life; no one can fault you for that. My father is quite similar." She motions for her allies to follow her, which they heed. "We'll give you your peace here; if I may say but one last thing – do not blame yourself; she would not wish for that." The noble nods to her, letting the silence act as their mutual understanding. She walks over to Mirina and reports the quest's completion.

"Thanks again for your help, Seekers. I imagine that…must have been rough on you." Looking to Cyrus and Fiona, she can see that both of them wear expressions plagued by a past guilt. Cyrus in particular looks ill. "You two didn't know that explorer, did you?"

Fiona shakes her head and opts to explain in Cyrus' place. "Back in Armoroad, there was a quest to face a dragon known as the Blizzard King; a dragon-slayer by the name of Wealh made a committed effort to slay this dragon on her own, despite the danger. We…we tried to talk her out of it."

Cyrus continues the thread, looking to Mirina as he says, "She used one of my past feats against us. During my time in Etria, I faced another dragon equal in power to the Blizzard King – the Storm Emperor. At the request of a fellow Guild member, I met that dragon in singe combat and emerged victorious. Dame Wealh…she…" He falls silent, his own voice leaving him for an instant. "She figured that, if someone she saw as a regular explorer could solo a dragon, then surely one born to a clan of dragon-slayers could perform the same feat."

Fiona shakes her head to this. "As I learned from Cyrus, as well as Raven, Lissa, and Amanda, the members of the dragon trio fight differently depending on the region they're in. The battle in Armoroad was too much for her; she gave her dying breath in Cyrus' arms…er, arm, actually. He had already lost his left arm prior to arriving in Armoroad." Looking to him, she follows, "I had hoped you would have moved past this, but I guess that was wishful thinking."

Mirina closes her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts. Before long, she looks to Cyrus, an understanding expression upon her countenance. "That was not your fault, Cyrus. I was an explorer once; I know the pride that woman must have felt in her own skill. The idea of needing to back down when someone else steps into the domain you trained for…it's one of the worst feelings a warrior can face." She shakes her head, clearing it of resurfacing thoughts. "I learned that returning here in one piece is the best reward I could ask for." She hands the Guild their rewards for the two quests – a bottle of Soma and two Copper Ingots. "I'm sure you're all exhausted after that. Please go and get some rest."


	12. Guardian of the Forest

**Chapter 12: Guardian of the Forest**

The following morning is another early rise for several members of the Seekers. Now that the Stratum Boss is within reach, many of the Guild's roster feel the need to put in extra training to ensure their preparations. Gwenivere has declared that Fae's progress with her botany studies are ahead of her established progression path, and that some revisions need to be made. As such, the girl is free to spend this day how she pleases. To Gwenivere's surprise, the child rises early alongside her comrades and practices her archery alongside Clarisse. Lissa is taking to marksman training along with these two, though she is practicing with a rifle instead of a bow.

Instead of taking their usual practice swings, Cyrus and Valerie have donned training gear; their weapons are notably absent. What Cyrus calls his set of training gear is what many others would consider a standard pajama set. A pair of blue loose-fitting pants secured by a tied sash complements a long-sleeved black shirt. The left sleeve of this shirt has been trimmed down to accommodate for the shorter length of his arm. Valerie, however, is dressed far more appropriately for the upcoming task at hand. Gray yoga pants accompany white running shoes and a black tank top. Upon her wrists is a pair of black sweatbands, each with a single word written upon them. Together, their message reads: "Incredible Gains". Upon her head is another sweatband, purple in color and sporting the image of a baby Owl Beast resting on its back as it clutches onto a pot of honey.

Amy is present alongside Cyrus and Valerie, though her training gear is the same as always. She rests a hand on her hip, adopting a haughty visage as she says, "My White Mage robe is all the gear I need." She looks to Gwenivere, who is now wearing a Celestrian dress similar to what Jilian of the Freeblade Guild wears. Gwenivere's dress boasts a similar color scheme in turn, though the seams of her attire are navy blue instead of gold. Amy lets out a sharp whistle. "Lookin' good, Milady."

She giggles to herself, quite pleased with this compliment. "Yes, thank you, dear sister; I picked out the dress, but Cyrus chose the color." She takes a moment to look over herself from a few different angles. "I must say, the Celestrians certainly know how to bring out a woman's figure; I never thought much of my own thighs until I saw how I looked in this. Now Cyrus' obsession makes a tad bit more sense."

"The Celestrians are clearly beings of a higher culture. I am honored to have worked with a tailor of such merit."

"Chief, you're weird."

"Cultured, my dear Valerie."

"Those two words aren't synonymous…" She stretches her back, holding her arms to the sky in an effort to get in a few extra moments of warm-up. As she exhales, she looks to the others and asks, "So how are we gonna do this?"

Gwenivere's initial response is to create a small set of stairs near Cyrus and Valerie. Pointing to it, she explains, "The two of you intend to work on your cardio, yes? Those stairs shall facilitate such training." When Valerie raises a finger to protest, Gwenivere intercepts her incoming remark by saying, "Do not worry about slipping; I have learned how to conjure ice that is steady to walk on."

Amy looks surprised to hear this. "You mastered it? You were having so much trouble a month ago…"

"Never underestimate the ingenuity of your sister, my dear. I admit that I cannot create truly steady ice the way my beloved can, but I found a way around my shortcoming." She falls silent at this, crossing her arms and closing her eyes as a smug expression forms on her face. Once it becomes apparent that this silence is going to linger for far longer than was intended, Gwenivere clears her throat, hoping that Cyrus will get the message. It takes a moment to process, but his face brightens in recognition.

"Ah, yes, my apologies, Milady. You see, instead of conjuring the ice in the manner that I do, Milady has instead created reactive ice." To demonstrate, he places a foot onto the ice staircase. In response to the presence of his foot, a black magic circle appears beneath his feet. "This magic circle keeps the person under its effects stable, so Valerie and I can use these for training without fear of slipping and breaking something."

Valerie crosses her arms at this, her attention still drawn to the staircase. Looking to Gwenivere, she says, "Not bad, Lady Gwenivere; not bad at all. Are you gonna be training with us? I…can't really see you training in that outfit the way you usually do."

"Hm? A dress like this isn't restrictive at all, Valerie. Why, I could wield my katana in this attire and feel as free as I always do – I surmise that I'd feel one with the wind, much like the female warriors of the plains back home." She nods, though it is not directed at anyone in particular. "However, I shall not dabble in cardio training today; I must practice my casting, more specifically my accuracy and speed." Looking to Amy, she follows, "In turn, I am to help Amy with her precision strikes; my constant volley of attacks will train her eyes to take in precise information while filtering the excess."

Cracking her knuckles, Amy continues in Gwenivere's stead. "We're also hoping that this sort of training will help me improve my control. When I'm out in Yggdrasil, sometimes I throw a punch with too much force or too little; I haven't found the middle ground yet, and I believe that is what's keeping me from binding our opponents effectively."

With their goals laid bare, the four begin their exercises. They spend an hour and a half on their drills, occasionally taking breaks at 10-minute intervals. Fae, Clarisse, and Lissa finished their own training well in advance, having gotten started a bit earlier in comparison, and are currently watching their comrades from an appropriate distance. Fiona and Hayato arrive around this same time, and likewise choose to join in the observing.

Looking to the two, Fae asks, "Where were you two?"

Hayato replies, "Fiona was giving me dance lessons." Fae's expressions shifts to display confusion; she needn't ask the question on her mind before Hayato gives her an answer. "There is a new Skill I'm working on called Dance Oracle. By performing a dance, I can dispel the effects of any Elemental Prayer that is currently active on myself in order to hit every enemy with a powerful spell."

Continuing in Hayato's place, Fiona says, "This same Skill also momentarily lowers the enemy's resistance to the chosen element. By allowing Lord Hayato to act before us, we can increase our damage output for a single round of combat." She chuckles, her eyes falling on Cyrus as she says, "It will probably take some time for the prince to trigger this Skill before Cyrus can act, but since the bulk of damage comes from Lady Gwenivere and me, I think we can afford a sub-optimal scenario."

Hayato then pulls out a small notebook, along with his reading glasses. Removing a pen from his pocket, he motions to begin writing. "How are our Union Skills coming along?" Pointing at Cyrus, he says, "Our leader can already make use of Tri-Shield, so we can buy ourselves at least one turn if we can get the enemy to focus on just a single row."

Fiona says, "Don't forget that I can bestow a Blessing upon us; since its effects trigger at the end of a round of combat, we can use it to recover from attacks that we aren't properly equipped to mitigate. In the case of our Chain Team, our biggest threat lies with AoE damage." She pauses, a frown forming on her face. "If Cyrus is blinded, he won't be able to dodge incoming attacks; in a similar vein, I become completely worthless as a damage dealer if my legs are sealed."

Raising a finger to this, Fae adds, "My herbs can't do anything to cure binds right now…oh! But I learned how to use Guard Order! That's good, right?"

Fiona nods to this, causing the child to smile. "Lady Gwenivere says she is close to a breakthrough. Before long, she will have learned how to make use of a Union Skill called Tri-Magic."

Hayato looks over his notes, but finds no information on such a Union Skill. "How does it work?"

"At first, I thought it was a single blast that somehow combines Fire, Ice, and Volt, but Milady quickly corrected me. Tri-Magic attacks all enemies with three separate attacks comprised of each element." Hayato begins writing this information down, soon shooting Fiona an expectant look that silently asks for her to continue. "The Union Skill will certainly be useful against enemies that are weak to all three elements, like the Forest Turtles, but beyond that, its applications are limited."

Looking to Fiona, Fae says, "Most enemies are weak to one element and resist another. Uncle Cyrus said his older parties used to be able to force weaknesses onto enemies, but I don't we can do that here in Iorys."

"My Shaman Skills aren't quite like the Basic Runes of Runemasters, or even the Fantasia Skills used by Troubadours. The Prayer Trio focuses primarily on the defensive applications. Dance Oracle offers offensive utility, but it only lasts for one round."

Lissa chuckles at this. "I wouldn't worry about it, Prince Hayato. The setup for this Chain Team is solid as is."

A scoff sounds, followed by a chuckle from Clarisse. Her eyes are focused on Cyrus as he and Valerie alternate their sit-up reps, but her attention is with her nearby comrades all the same. "You five will get better as you keep fighting. From what Lissa told me, it's not uncommon for the Seekers to have to wait until the Second Stratum to really hit their stride." She falls silent at this notion, her eyes shifting to stare at the grass before she turns her focus to Lissa. "You think he's waiting until then for our party?"

"It's certainly possible." Glancing at Fiona, she follows, "Knowing him, I'd say he's focusing on the Chain Team right now to prove a point to Fiona."

"Eh? Me? Whatever do you mean?"

"Think about it. You spent so much time in Armoroad dedicating yourself to the Hoplite path just so you could avoid thinking about what happened with your previous Guild. All that time invested in us, but you never thought of what you wanted to do with the team."

"I- Lissa, I just wanted to keep everyone safe."

"That's not the whole truth, Fiona." Fiona motions to put forth a retort, but falls silent and relents. "When Cyrus, Shinji, and Amy practiced those Chase Skills, you were always watching from afar. I can't tell you how much it hurt to see that miserable look on your face." Fiona's silence persists, though now she is also struggling to make eye contact. "When we realized that the Chaser Skills didn't work nearly as well as we would have preferred, we dropped them. I know you…you weren't happy about that."

"I thought Cyrus was just giving up; I didn't even really process his reasoning."

"I guess that means he never told you."

"Told me what?"

"That he'd one day find a Chaser team worthy of you?" Fiona stares at her with a blank expression. In just a moment, it shifts to display disbelief and surprise in equal measure. Lissa sighs at this before scratching Balto beneath his neck. "You had no idea."

Clarisse adds, "You didn't even notice what he was doing here, either."

Fae giggles, opting to repeat a statement she made once before. "You two are hopeless."

Fiona can only give a short laugh of defeat in response. "A real pair of fools." She watches her comrade as he finishes his training exercise; the Erdboden four regroup and discuss their progress, though Fiona is unable to hear any of it. ' _You're a right fool, Cyrus…though I guess I'm twice as foolish._ ' When he and Gwenivere step over, she looks among them as well as Fae and Hayato as she asks, "Shall we take care of the Iron Crustacean today?"

The party is in agreement, and sets out for the fourth floor after taking a food break at Jenetta's Inn. Stepping through the door directly next to the staircase, an Iron Crustacean can be seen making its usual rounds. Upon taking notice of the Seekers, the creature brandishes its pincers and motions to attack, having already sensed their intent to fight. Glancing back to the rear line, Cyrus gestures his head to silently tell Gwenivere to take to the front with him and Fiona. Drawing his sword, he says, "Aegis Prayer and Ruinous Prayer are needed."

A brief flash of white overtakes him, Gwenivere, and Fiona as he stabs his blade into the grass below. In doing so, he summons a translucent wall that deflects the Iron Crustacean's incoming claw swipe. As the claw bounces, the party can make out a faint trail of frost in its wake. Cyrus attempts to stab out an eye of the lobster, but the creature pulls back to keep its eyes out of harm's way. Cyrus falls back to his party, looking to Gwenivere to give her a knowing nod. Now that she has cast Amplifier, she returns to the back row where she is far safer.

Prepping her blade, Fiona asks, "It's weak to Volt, I trust?"

"Indeed. Fae, we're going to Blind this one! The rest of you focus on offense!" Curiously, the lobster is content to watch the party's movements, likely waiting for an opportunity to strike with its ice-imbued claw. Seeing the creature rear its claw backwards, Cyrus looks to Fae as she is nocking another arrow. "Use Guard Order, Fae. Extend Aegis Prayer as well."

"O- OK! Leave it to me!"

As predicted, the Iron Crustacean uses Ice Slicer after finding its opening. As a result of Fae and Hayato using Guard Order, the back row reduces the incoming damage enough to avoid casualties, though Gwenivere took the brunt of the attack in the place of her comrades. Against better judgment, she moves to the front line to re-trigger Amplifier now that its effects have faded. Hayato reapplies the Ruinous Prayer in turn. While Fae tends to Gwenivere's injuries, Cyrus and Fiona attempt one additional assault. They fail to slay the lobster, but worse still, Cyrus fails to blind it.

In recognition of this, he shouts for everyone to take a defensive stance. Ice Slicer is used once again, this time against the front line. With no Tri-Shield or Guard Order to grant them a reprieve, Cyrus and Fiona have no choice but to make use of their gear; Cyrus absorbs most of the damage with his sword, but is knocked backwards. Fiona is likewise sent sliding along the grass, though her shield is ultimately what intercepts the bulk of the attack's impact. Knowing that the creature will commit to watching for an opening, the party elects to unleash one last volley to fuel Fiona's Chain Shock; for their efforts, the FOE is slain.

They sheath their weapons and let out a collective sigh of relief. Fiona looks to Cyrus and says, "Much easier than the Owl Beast."

"Agreed." The two work as a team to remove the lobster's shell, and soon store it amongst the group's belongings. "It's not nearly as heavy as it looks. Let us proceed back to the Twilight Tavern." Upon stepping inside, he presents the shell to Mirina, who looks quite shocked to see the party here. "Is something the matter?"

"I didn't think you'd take on the Iron Crustacean so soon!"

"It proved to be simpler than the Owl Beast."

"Is that right?" She takes another look at the shell; "Does the chef really intend to use this entire thing for just one dish?" She shakes her head, unwilling to dwell on the matter. "I guess if I get curious enough, I'll just swing by the restaurant and try it for myself. Now, as for your reward…" Upon receiving the scarlet carapace, she hands the party three servings of boiled crawfish. She can see that Gwenivere and Fiona are practically drooling, barely managing to restrain themselves. "A fan of seafood, I take it?"

Cyrus chuckles at this, pointing to Fiona as he says, "You know how they're raised in Armoroad; my wife here, well, she's always enjoyed fish. When we were children, she'd sometimes reward my faithful service by 'ordering' me to grant her my share at dinnertime."

"Wait, how is that a reward?"

"Cyrus here is none too fond of seafood. Taking his share under the pretense of a direct order lets him avoid a reprimand, and in turn, I relish in an additional serving." She lets out a laugh at this, covering her mouth with a hand as noblewomen are so fond of doing. "He is so accommodating that even his distastes serve to my benefit. The gods blessed me with this man; why, sometimes I feel as if I don't deserve him."

"House Concordia has always treated me like family, even though I was brought into their service as little more than a servant. My liege is strict, the Overlord even more so, but I am most grateful for the life they've given me."

"It's certainly good to hear that you're happy together; be sure to remember that gratitude when you fall on hard times. So, what's next for the Seekers?"

Fiona is the first to answer; "We were planning on facing the Stratum Boss tonight after our break."

"Are you certain that you're prepared? Have you checked yo- have you triple checked everything?"

Fiona reels back, donning a shocked expression at Mirina's sudden shift. "Wow, and I thought Cyrus was obsessive."

"I'll have you know that attitude saves lives, Fiona; the nerve…"

"I'm with Cyrus on this. You can never be too careful out there. Two of you are veterans, so it's even more important that you be reminded of that." She rests her hands on her hips, letting out a sigh of exasperation. Her smile is quick to return, as is her soft expression. "All that said, I trust in you guys. Good luck…and be safe out there."

Having nearly forgotten about their Gathering Runs, the Seekers elect to take care of that before returning to the fifth floor. By the time they arrive, the hour has struck 10PM. Two tasks are placed at the top of the party's priority; before proceeding through the shortcut that leads to bottom center atrium, the Seekers rotate the monument near the staircase, causing a distant pillar to rise in-between a pair of inactive golems. This same process is repeated for the monument in D5, which raises a pillar to block off two more inactive golems.

The party now deems itself prepared to advance through the door in the bottom center atrium. Stepping inside, the owner of the aura Cyrus and Fiona once felt is nowhere to seen; in its stead is a gentle breeze blowing through the area. Just as Fae sighs in relief of the notion, a horde of small golems gathers at the room's center. The golems of various colors convene to single location and take to merging together. The party watches as they eventually finish their endeavor, becoming a towering figure. One golem remains as a straggler; since the merged golem is whole, it simply falls off the giant's shoulder, and then retreats to parts unknown.

Sensing magic flowing from the golem, Gwenivere points to it and says, "That is the source of the barrier. We'll have to deactivate it." She takes to the front line and directs her attention to Cyrus. "We will need bolstered firepower to fell this foe with any semblance of haste; this will mandate a degree of risk."

"I understand; I have a plan of attack for this." Glancing to Fiona, he asks, "Do you recall the Gatekeeper of Armoroad's Third Stratum?"

"How could I forget? It was one of our most hated encounters in that Labyrinth." A brief moment passes before she realizes what he's trying to imply. "You think it will fight in a similar manner?"

"I can't stake that large of a claim, but I am willing to bet that its opening attack will be some dangerous AoE." Looking to his party, as well as their upcoming foe, he formulates an opening strategy. "I'll use my Runic Eye to scope its weaknesses; Fiona, you and I will form a defensive wall to shield Lady Gwenivere while she uses Amplifier – I'll need you to call upon a Blessing as well; Fae, I need you to use Guard Order and then hide behind cover; Lord Hayato, we'll need the Blaze Prayer at the start."

"You're expecting a fire attack?" Cyrus nods, causing Hayato to do the same. "Alright, I understand; with Guard Order in effect, the damage shouldn't be too severe. So long as I am not overwhelmed, Fiona's Blessing should restore me." He looks to the side to find that two more inactive yellow golems are waiting at the entrance. "These are gonna try and join the fight, aren't they?"

Looking to them, Cyrus lets out a sigh. "That is almost a certainty. We'll have to move quickly. Seekers, let's begin." The first round of combat plays out exactly as predicted; after the party finishes setting up their initial maneuver, the creature known as the Amalgolem briefly gathers energy into itself before unleashing an explosion that engulfs the entire area. To the surprise of both Cyrus and Fiona, the fire damage is practically negligible; what little damage they took is completely healed by the effect of Fiona's Blessing.

Gwenivere returns to the back line as her front line comrades assess the situation. Fiona notes that the explosion caused three golems to separate from the main body, ridding it of both its set of arms as well as its legs. Of the colors present, a red and white golem flank the main body at either side, while a black golem picks itself up and takes to the back row. "Which should we prioritize?"

"The white golem is closer to the main body; we'll focus our efforts on it." Drawing his blade, he says, "When merged, the Amalgolem is weak to ice, but all of its individual parts are weak to all forms of damage. We're sticking with fire damage." He glances back to Gwenivere before charging. "Milady, use Tri-Magic; Fae, Lord Hayato, and I will cover the difference!"

A white flash engulfs the four before converging around Gwenivere's form; she tosses her staff into the air before holding her hands out in front of her, placing them together to form a triangle in their center. After chanting a few words, the area around the golems is struck with a trio of elemental attacks. First comes an explosion, leaving the mini golems dazed; next comes a hail of lances comprised of ice; the final blow comes from a powerful bolt of lightning, which destroys the smaller golems. The main body handles this damage quite well, but it appears unable to move.

With no white golem to target, Fiona just shrugs and readies her blazing sword to use Chain Flame on the now defenseless main body. The entire party assists her with two volleys, though the main body remains standing. A cry emits from the stationary golem, which directs Fae's attention to the entrance. "The mini golems are waking up!"

"We have time." Knowing that their buffs are about to fall off, Cyrus calls for a new approach. "Lord Hayato, use Dance Oracle to give us a damage boost; we'll press the attack as normal!" Hayato acts immediately, performing a simple two-step. Though the dance is incredibly brief, its effects occur instantly. The protective veil granted by the Blaze Prayer, as well as the fiery aura enveloping the tips of his arrows, are both dispelled in order to cause a small fiery explosion directed at the Amalgolem. Though the damage is minimal, it increases the damage of the remaining assault.

Fiona's blazing thrusts are directed at specific parts of the main body. She makes an attempt to further dislodge the remaining attached golems, knowing that the main control unit must be at the center. Though her efforts are relentless, even being bolstered by assistance provided by Cyrus and Gwenivere, she is unable to reveal the core before a yellow golem enters the fray. She falls back to join in on receiving the effects of Gwenivere's use of Amplifier, and can see the Blaze Prayer imbue her blade once again.

Cyrus has fallen back as well in order to assess the situation. "Our Union Skills still need to recharge, but I have an idea. While Lord Hayato puts Ruinous Prayer in effect, Fae and I will blind the Yellow Golem."

Gwenivere shoots him a look of confusion; "Is there a purpose to that?"

"The main body is immune to all forms of status ailments, and yet it has a Conditional Drop. It can be posited that the only way to get the Conditional Drop, assuming it's tied to an ailment, is to inflict it on the smaller units and let them transfer it."

"That's…quite convoluted, darling, but I'll trust your judgment."

Unfortunately, this plan does not pan out, allowing the Yellow Golem to fuse with the main body without an ailment to pass; this results in the main body gaining a new pair of legs. To make matters worse, the second Yellow Golem joins the fray. The party unleashes another volley to fuel Fiona's use of Chain Flame, electing to ignore the second Yellow Golem in its entirety.

Fiona loses two chances to follow up on her allies' attacks as she continues to scan for the core. ' _Wait…I see it!_ ' She lands on the ground and makes a dash for her comrades. "Lord Hayato, use Dance Oracle again; the core is within reach!" To her benefit, the Amalgolem wastes its striking opportunity summoning another Yellow Golem at the entrance. ' _Damn, there are more?!_ ' The second Yellow Golem merges with the main body to grant it a new pair of arms. ' _It's now or never, then._ ' With the use of Dance Oracle, the Amalgolem is knocked off balance, granting Fiona a clear strike at the opening she made. She rushes to her foe and delivers a single thrust that causes the golems to disperse.

Only two golems remain now, and the smaller golem that was just summoned has apparently become inactive. With victory in sight, the Seekers make one final push to vanquish the final pair of enemies. The final golem falls with a thrust of Fiona's blade, marking the battle's conclusion. A stone shard lies on the ground before her, so she picks it up to show it to her comrades. Taking it into her hand, Gwenivere comments, "This is charged with aetherial energy. I imagine it was once part of the protective barrier." She places the shard with the party's belongings and looks ahead to the door at the northern end of this former battleground. "Shall we take a sneak peek at the Second Stratum?"

The party is in agreement. Proceeding through the next door, the party is met with an ascending staircase. Cyrus looks to see that this is the area directly across from the runic boulder Gwenivere translated. "Huh. I didn't even see the staircase from that vantage." He shrugs to this before travelling up the stairs with the others.

At the top is the Second Stratum, though it is in stark contrast to the first. The forest the party expected is gone, replaced with a barren rocky landscape strewn with brown boulders and towering ridges. Cyrus and Fiona look around, but see nothing akin to what they are searching for, prompting them to advance a bit further into the Stratum's first floor. Not too far away is an Earthlain woman holding a massive scythe. Purple hair tops her head, tied into two pigtails that are held in place by golden headdresses. Her lavender eyes briefly study the party, but her disinterested expression offers no insight to what opinions she might have formed from her cursory glance.

"You explorers from Iorys?" Her tone is somewhat hostile which strikes the party as odd. When they glance about each other, unsure of how to properly respond, the woman dons a wry smile. "You must be new to the city, too, since you don't know my face. I'm a Harbinger. Name's Solor." The Seekers introduce themselves in turn, eliciting a nod from Solor. "I've heard of you guys. So, are you the actual Seekers, or just some fans trying to carry on the legacy?"

Fiona steps forward and says, "I'm from the Armoroad Branch." Pointing to Cyrus, she follows, "This man here is the original founder; I imagine you don't recognize him since he's a Fencer now, rather than a mage Class trying to solo everything."

"Look, that was just back in Etria, Fiona; I made no effort to solo the challenges of Armoroad."

Solor chuckles at this, looking to Cyrus with a mischievous expression on her face. "This is true from what I've heard, but that didn't stop you from trying unorthodox Class setups." He falls silent to this, unable to retort. "I suppose it should be no surprise your group made it past the Tutelary Forest, but up here in the Jagged Reach, things get much harder. Don't be brash or you'll regret it." Pointing her scythe to the north, she gestures her head to the side, to direct the party's attention to the same place. "Since you're veterans, I bet you were looking for that, right?"

To the north is a shimmering pillar of pink light, one that causes Fiona and Cyrus to sigh in relief. The latter says, "Thank goodness; I missed that sight." Solor chuckles at this before departing, leaving the Seekers alone. "Midnight has rolled around, so let's head back." En route to Jenetta's Inn they pay a visit to the Council; sure enough, Ramus is still awake.

Taking note of the Seekers, his expression takes a cheerful turn as he approaches. He receives a map from Cyrus; looking at it, a chuckle escapes him. "A map of the fifth floor, excellent. I will be sure to have our atlas updated." He hands Cyrus a necklace, one that appears to be decorated with a myriad of charms to bestow good luck upon the bearer. "This belongs to me, but I'd rather you all have it. I never find the time to wear it, but I figure it would better serve you explorers."

Cyrus places the necklace over Fae's head so that it wraps around her neck. "There you go, little one." Standing to address Prince Ramus, he smiles and says, "Thank you, your highness; such a necklace is a huge boon to our setup, perhaps even more than you realize."

"Is that so? Then so much the better. Now then, I have heard from one of our scouts that your Guild has just defeated the Amalgolem to breach the Celestrian barrier." He has a short laugh upon seeing the party's shocked expressions. "There is no need for surprise; it is the Council's duty to remain up to date on such things. I pray that other Guilds follow your example." He pulls a bag of ental from a storage area and hands it to Fiona. Within it is a sum of 1500. "We would like to present you with this reward; please accept it. I hope this grants a buffer to your future exploration."

Fiona nods to him, a smile forming her countenance. "We appreciate this, your highness; truly." With their business concluded, the Seekers depart from the Council Hall. Their next destination is Jenetta's Inn, where a well-earned rest awaits them. Though tired from the encounter, Fiona is unable to sleep, and instead takes to looking over the nightly activities of Iorys from a balcony. She stands alone in the silence for a time, occasionally visited by the soft whistle of a cool breeze. Though faint, she can hear the footsteps of a lone individual drawing near; she need not turn around to know who it is, and simply presents a question as a soft smile forms on her face. "Managed to slip away from your wife?"

Cyrus steps up to her side and rests his arm on the balcony. "Slipping from Milady's clutches is a simple affair now; I've had years of practice. Fae, on the other hand, is a new breed of beast entirely. There is much gripping power in such a gentle vessel." They share a short laugh at this, soon transitioning to standing in the evening silence. Cyrus eventually looks to her and presents a question of his own. "How are you feeling?"

"I didn't even notice what you were doing." She scoffs, though her smile remains. She looks down towards the ground floor to see Conrad's Guild departing from the inn, likely to begin a late exploration. When Abel looks back to notice Cyrus and Fiona, the two wave at the Guild to wish them luck with their upcoming endeavor. Returning her focus to Cyrus, she says, "I'm plenty confident in this Chain Team of ours going forward. You…you didn't have to focus on us…on me."

"To be fair, I had my own reasons for acting as I have up to now; you really shouldn't view my actions as altruistic."

"What's your reason, then?"

"Righting my wrongs." He looks to the forests beyond the city's borders, his eyes shading into a leer. Though he is looking at nothing in particular, his gaze is sharp. "In failing to make those setups work back in Armoroad, I wasted everyone's time, not just yours. Shinji was looking forward to a powerful end result as well, you know. As the strategist of that Branch, I let you all down." Without looking at him, she absently makes a remark concerning his promise. Cyrus glances at her for a brief moment before returning his gaze to the regions beyond Iorys. "So you learned about that. I fulfilled that promise to everyone, save for you, Fiona." He turns to face her, his expression stern, but his eyes having eased into something softer. "That's what this was about."

"For all the grief I gave you, you really were good at your job. After working with you," she chuckles, shooting a smile at him, "I don't think I'd feel nearly as comfortable with someone else calling the shots." His stern expression wavers at the sight of Fiona's expression accentuated by the moonlight. "I appreciate what you've done; I want you to know that." An awkward silence falls between the two, one that eventually causes them to break eye contact. Turning back to face him, she lingers a moment longer before asking, "So…are we good now?"

"I've never held ill will towards you, Fiona; my focus rested squarely with my debt to you. Those…the few times I've poked fun at the old you here in Iorys were merely in jest." He rubs the back of his head, a regretful expression forming his countenance. "My apologies if I gave the wrong impression."

"I harbored some harsh opinions of you, you know; and I wasn't exactly silent."

"You were not the first person to regard me with disdain, Fiona; there was an entire country of people before you, and unlike you, they tried to have me killed on more than one occasion." She motions to make a reply, but falls silent. "Your grievances were valid, and yet, you were always willing to support me in battle." His countenance shifts to harbor a gentle smile. "If you're ready to put the past behind you, we can walk forward as a team." She nods and steps forward to rest her fist on his chest. Cyrus stands there for a moment, not sure how to proceed. "You…don't expect me to reciprocate, do you? That would be quite inappropriate. You and I aren't lovers, and your bosom isn't exactly flat enough to justi-" Fiona can only sigh before flicking his nose; Cyrus reels back, keeping a much louder scream at bay. "Augh, fu- damn it, woman! I don't understand!"

"You can be a right idiot." She chuckles, crossing her arms as she watches Cyrus nurse his reddened nose. "You're alright, friend."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Thus marks the end of the 1st Stratum. There was a lot of ground-work to cover, hence taking 12 Chapters to get through the Tutelary Forest. Going forward, you can expect the 2nd Stratum to progress at a faster clip; the 3rd Stratum's pacing remains to be seen. Updates will proceed as normal, but I am interested in seeing feedback on the story's progression thus far._


	13. Rising to New Heights

**Chapter 13: Rising to New Heights**

When morning comes, the Seekers convene at the breakfast table to celebrate the previous evening's victory. Jenetta has prepared a feast fit for two families, which strikes the Seekers as convenient, as there are nine of them present, ten counting Balto. "Eat up, everyone~" Her cheerful demeanor does not fade as she sits down to dine alongside her guests. "You guys made really good time; no one's ever cleared the First Stratum that quickly before." She scans the table for a potential target, soon focusing on a muffin. In between the divided halves of this muffin is a fried egg topped with a slice of cheese. She grabs it without hesitation, her hand moving as swift as an eagle. ' _So delicious~_ '

As she takes a moment to make sure Balto isn't being picky about his meal, Clarisse throws out a question. "So, what's the Second Stratum like?"

Fae holds up her arms, likely in some effort to provide emphasis; "We're up in the mountains now! There are super tall cliffs and everything!"

Clarisse stares at the child blankly, not entirely convinced by her description. When Hayato offers a supporting claim, her doubtful expression eases. "That's a weird shift; are the other Yggdrasil Labyrinths like that?"

Before taking a sip of coffee, Fiona says, "Armoroad's Labyrinth has a few weird shifts after the Second Stratum."

Cyrus adds, "You could argue that the transition from the first to the second is also strange. We went from a standard forest to being at the ocean floor."

Fae's expression lights up at this. "That sounds cool! How did you breathe?"

Amy answers, "It was the strangest thing; we could walk and breathe normally down there. And yet, all of the marine life continued to swim, even leaving bubble trails behind them." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Are you heading to the sixth floor with the Chain Team today, nii-chan?"

"No, I will be taking you and the others for a cursory run." Without needing to look, he reaches his hand down to grab hold of Valerie's, stopping her from swiping one of the last two biscuits on his plate. When he turns to face her, a sweet expression rests upon her countenance. "Now, now, my dear Valerie; you should know I won't fall for such things so easily."

"It was worth a shot, Chief. How about a compromise?"

"You're going to bargain with me over my own food?"

"Yep. Give me half of that biscuit, and you can be my bestie for life."

"W- What? Am I not already in such a position?"

"Yeah, sure, you are, but now we can make it official." Throughout this exchange, the two of them fail to notice Fiona and Gwenivere swiping both of the remaining biscuits from Cyrus' plate. When she glances back down to the prize she believes herself to be close to winning, Valerie's eyes widen in horror. "What the Hell? They're gone!"

Cyrus looks down as well, entertaining Valerie's outburst while maintaining his guard in the event she's pulling a ruse. True to form, "By the gods…" He looks to Gwenivere to find that she has just finished consuming her pilfered treat. "Milady, how could you?"

She holds her hand out to him, a smug smile upon her lips. "Crumbs yet remain upon my fingers, Cyrus; if you still desire the biscuit, you have the option available."

Fiona motions into view, revealing that she has just finished consuming her stolen biscuit as well. She waves at Cyrus, swallowing her food before speaking. "Sorry, Cyrus; we're friends and all, but I'm not letting you lick my fingers." He frowns. "Oh, I didn't think you were into me…or into that." His frown intensifies. "That look doesn't suit you, friend."

"I'm sorry, Chief; I goofed this time."

"We both made mistakes, Valerie."

After breakfast, the second team assembles and makes way for Syrik's stall at the marketplace. Here, they offer up the Stoneguard Shard that was dropped by the Amalgolem. "Now this is some interesting material. I heard from an artisan that we can make a coffin out of this, one that'll be a decent boost to Necromancers." He stores the item away before returning his attention to the party. "So you've reached the Second Stratum now; I'm looking forward to the rare materials you'll bring in."

Cyrus dons a smile at this as he says, "I hope you stick around until we clear the eventual 6th Stratum. Whatever item drop we can obtain from the boss that awaits there will surely serve you well during your rite of passage."

"6th Stratum? I think you might be getting ahead of yourself there, Cyrus. From what I hear, no one in Iorys has ever made it past the third."

Amy smirks at this. "We'll have to change that. Just leave the item collecting to us, Syrik."

He laughs at this, though not because her claim is humorous. "I'm counting on you guys."

They take their leave with this, and make way for the Jagged Reach. The Stratum boasts a different visage during the day hours. Yellow and green vegetation lines the edges of the nearby cliffs, from which clouds rolling both below and overhead can be observed. The treetops of the Tutelary Forest gently sway below, causing the party to reflect on how high their ascension took them. Amy takes the moment to stretch, letting out a strained groan as she does so. She takes another look at the forest below and exhales.

"It kinda sucks that we can't start from the Geomagnetic Pole; I wonder why that is." She looks to Cyrus, a worried expression upon her face. "Are you gonna be alright up here? I can always draw the map in your stead; we can just tag you out for Lady Gwenivere."

"That won't work when the time comes for the Chain Team to fight up here; I have to be ready."

Clarisse alternates between looking at the two before asking, "What, is Co afraid of heights or something?" When they both nod, a look of surprise forms on her face. "No joke? Wow, I figured Cyrus was fearless. I mean, he's dating Lissa." She receives a swift punch to the arm for this, courtesy of Lissa. "Augh! Rude!"

"Oh, I'm the rude one? Funny how that works out." Looking to Cyrus, she adopts a worried countenance of her own. "Seriously though, are you going to be alright? Unlike Etria's 5th Stratum, this one's out in the open."

"I know, but the time I spent in Tharsis has mostly prepared me for this. I was forced to travel via skyship there." He takes point, as if to affirm his decision. "Let us proceed." The party proceeds west, eventually happening upon a door through which they proceed. Within is a branching path within the interior of the cliffs. Cyrus lets out a sigh of relief at the sight, relieved by the walls now surrounding him. He marks the nearby Take Point on the map before his team moves forward.

Traversing the path on the right, the Seekers are beset by a trio of monsters. At the fore is a giant cicada with large white wings. Clarisse reels at the sight, disgusted. Balto steps in front of her, ready to lend his aid to the party. Occupying the back row is a pair of turkeys. Valerie looks amongst her comrades, not sure how she should process the notion that they are all indeed about to draw weapons against what should be standard farm animals.

Cyrus attempts to put the cicada to sleep, but applying such a precise blow to this sort of opponent proves to be a trying task. The turkeys, which are referred to as Gobblers in the codex, increase their defenses through some sort of magic triggered by expanding their wings. Just as the Cicada looks as if it is ready to fall, Cyrus looks back to this comrades and calls for them to cover their ears. Only Amy is fast enough to heed his warning, causing the remaining three members of the party to suffer the effects of paralysis. Though not nearly as terrible as it could be, this setback does make the task of slaying the Gobblers more difficult.

With the battle ended, the party continues forward, soon taking notice of a large boulder wedged in the crevice of a cracked wall. Clarisse tilts her head at this, taking note that, "This doesn't actually reach all the way down; there's some space left." After a moment of investigation, she looks to her comrades and says, "I think there's something down there; it might be an animal." She strains her vision, but can see nothing. She clicks her tongue in frustration at this. "I can't make out anything from here."

Cyrus looks to her and says, "We'll come back later. It would be more prudent to investigate this floor to make sure none of the denizens set traps in this manner." After a moment of consideration, Clarisse nods to this and departs with her comrades. Another door awaits up ahead, though the path upon which the Seekers currently travel seems to stretch on for longer. The party proceeds through the door, soon being halted when Cyrus raises his arm. "The ground has been getting progressively softer." Looking ahead, he can make out the sight of a muddied path. A cursory glance reveals multiple clusters of boulders perched atop the looming cliff just ahead. "Yeah, that's not gon-"

He is cut off by a sudden small-scale earthquake. The boulders are shaken free from their clusters, soon picking up speed as they tumble down the cliff. They crash into the path ahead, causing the party to shudder. Valerie lets out a sigh of relief. "That was almost us." Her eyes don their glow, prompting her to draw her scythe. "We got company." The party assumes its formation and searches the area for the incoming opposition. A pair of enemies rises from the ground, revealing themselves to be muscular moles with pronounced white claws. "That's not good."

One of the moles returns to the ground just as quickly as it arrived; Cyrus rests a hand on the hilt of his katana and orders everyone to take up defensive positions. As they do so, he attempts to put the above ground mole to sleep with Haze Slash; his efforts end in failure. The concealed mole emerges to strike at Balto and Lissa's deployed bunker, dealing negligible damage to the bunker, but causing Balto to fall back and heal. He motions over to Clarisse and says, "You'll need to bind their legs to stop this digging."

Clarisse relays this information to the rest of her party, but they are unable to disable the moles in this manner, ultimately having to deal with the constant digging until both creatures succumb to their wounds. Further progress leads the party south, where they happen upon an Iorys guard warming himself by a campfire. The party elects to join him for a brief respite, considering the offer. Small talk is made until a member of the guard's troop arrives to relieve his comrade of his shift. To avoid tarrying, the Seekers rise and take their leave, happening upon a shortcut to the Geomagnetic Pole before continuing with the adventure.

Rather than go back the way they came, the party makes its way back to the boulder Clarisse was previously concerned about. Just before arriving at the boulder's location, the party is beset by a pair of enemies. One is the Stun Cicada; the other is some sort of blue, four-legged animal. Amy clasps her hands together, her expression adopting a look of joy at the sight of this new creature. "Aw, it's so cute! Look at its pink little nose!" Her expression shifts to one of shock, matching her comrades, as the blue creature leaps from its present location to kick Balto in the side. Upon hearing the creature hiss at the wolf, Amy realizes, "Wait, that's a feline?"

Upon deploying a bunker, Lissa says, "Valerie's armor didn't activate, so focus on binding its legs!" Clarisse fires an arrow at the blue creature. The shot misses, but no one realizes that this was an intentional ploy to allow Balto the opportunity to strike at the creature's legs, disabling one of them. The blue feline, infuriated, shifts its focus to Balto exclusively, but can only strike the bunker in its futile efforts. With the largest threat dealt with, the party swiftly ends this encounter with minimal damage sustained. "Good work, team."

Clarisse and Balto let out a triumphant roar, to which Valerie points at the former and says, "Rabbits aren't supposed to roar." Clarisse ignores her in favor of walking over to the boulder, hoisting it above her head, and then hurling it to the side as if it were a mere pebble. "Holy shit!" She looks to Amy, whose expression suggests that she is impressed with Clarisse's display. ' _Now there're two of them…_ '

With the boulder gone, the occupant that was trapped beneath crawls out, revealing itself to be a small turtle. Cyrus crouches down to assess the creature's injuries; Balto and Clarisse do the same. Though taken off guard by the sudden attention, the turtle happily thanks the party for granting it freedom. It bids them farewell before going about its own business. Rising to her feet, Clarisse rolls her shoulder and gives a satisfied sigh. "There's my good deed for the day." She notices something shiny flying towards her from the corner of her eye, and motions to catch it. Looking at the item, she realizes that Cyrus has tossed a coin comprised of Celestrian Silver at her. "Much obliged."

The party continues forward, arriving at the crossroad they encountered before. Instead of taking the door, they continue beyond the path next to it, soon reaching a dead end that houses some Forest Wheat. From this area, the party can see a treasure chest. Looking to the map Cyrus has drawn so far, they know how to reach it, and set off immediately. An hour of walking leads them to A3, where a shortcut can be found, one that leads to the treasure chest. Before traveling through this shortcut, Cyrus looks to the side to see several small birds gathered on a rock. He motions for Clarisse to join him.

"Do you know what species that is?"

Pointing at the birds, she says, "Those bright, caramel-colored feathers are a mark of the Forest Great Quail." She licks her lips, grabbing hold of her bow. "These make for great ingredients. Stand back, Co; watch me work." He nods to her and takes a step back to distance himself from his comrade's hunting ground. Upon settling behind a rock, Clarisse seems to outright disappear from view alongside Balto.

Valerie adopts a shocked expression upon seeing this. "People in this world can do that, too?" A short time passes before the duo returns. Clarisse brings with her four units of choice meat cuts. "Not bad, Clarisse." She then crouches down to rub Balto's neck. "You too, pupper." The party proceeds through the shortcut to pull a ring from the treasure chest, followed shortly by their efforts to backtrack.

Looking to the map, Lissa notes that the party has now filled out the entirety of the western section of this floor. "I was expecting this place to be about as sprawling as the Sandy Barrens, but the paths are quite cramped and winding." Cyrus nods to this, comparing this stratum's structure to that of the Primitive Jungle. Lissa frowns at this, resting her hands on her hips and letting out a huff. "The Enemy Sets are about as annoying."

Making their way back to the floor's center, the party arrives at a new door. Above this door is what appears to be the visage of a priest carved directly into the mountain side. Unaware of what significance this might hold, the party cautiously opens the door and steps inside. Within is a large room with another door awaiting to the north; it also sports a carving into the mountain face above it. The section in which the Seekers stand is surrounded by sizable gaps, making proper exploration of the room impossible. Cyrus calls for a second break, which everyone is thankful for.

Lissa takes a seat on a nearby rock, resting her heavy shield beside her. A sigh escapes the woman as she rolls her shoulders. "Damn, that shield is heavy."

Taking a seat beside her, Amy says, "Kinda weird how you never complained about that huge crossbow you used in Armoroad."

"You know, that crossbow really wasn't that heavy." She looks over to see Valerie cleaning the blade of her scythe. "Hey, Valerie? You don't suffer from nasty side effects in Erdboden, do you?"

"You're asking about my use of dark magic, right?" She smirks, a chuckle escaping her. "I nullify darkness innately, so I can use it without fear of being corrupted." Glancing at Cyrus, she follows, "I worry more for the Chief; even though he absorbs darkness by default, the human body has a tolerance threshold for it. He has to increase that tolerance every year."

Clarisse looks to Cyrus, and then to Valerie. Though hesitant, she soon asks, "What happens if he goes overboard?"

"At best, he'll just go insane and die. At worst, he'll transform into a Behemoth consumed by the effects of the corruption. The Chief…is really damn strong when he's transformed; he could probably slaughter a country if he's not dealt with quickly enough."

"The rest of the world is fortunate that I'm weak to Light and Fire, both of which are wielded by a great number of combatants." Pointing at Amy, he follows, "You wouldn't need an army; just send Amy and her sister. At most, it would take them an hour."

"I really hope it never comes to that." She frowns at him, crossing her arms for emphasis. "After all the years I spent keeping you healthy, do you really think I'm just going to accept a mission that requires me to kill you? I could never…not to my best friend." She scoffs at the notion. "Terri isn't taking that quest, either; I won't allow it. No sister of mine is going to slay her husband; take that rubbish back to the Seven Hells."

Clarisse raises an eyebrow to this. "Wait…seven?" The Erdboden trio shares in a momentary bout of confusion before confirming that their world does indeed boast seven different instances of Hell. "Fucking…why?"

Cyrus rubs the back of his head as he thinks of a way to properly explain this. "Really, there should only be six – one for each element. Erdboden has two elements that we classify as compound elements; Water and Ice, as well as Wind and Lightning." He rests his chin in his hand, furrowing his brow as he follows, "For some strange reason, Wind and Lightning are made distinct from each other while Water and Ice share their Hell as a singular theme."

"Really? What's the Lightning Hell called?"

"The Tempestuous Wasteland."

"Yeah, no, fuck that; I'm sorry I even asked."

The Guild loses itself in its banter, and extends its stay to two hours in total. This proves to be a terrible idea, for they are ambushed by a trio of Stun Cicadas. For reasons unknown, two of them focus their efforts on attacking Cyrus, one going so far as to bite down on his arm. In the party's efforts to treat his wounds in the midst of the battle, Amy is knocked unconscious by a triple assault. When she awakens, Clarisse can only see rage boiling in her faded red eyes; the archer takes a wide step back to give Amy some space, wary of what might happen. Amy sets her sights on the cicada that struck her down, and motions into a charge as she roars in anger. With a single punch, the cicada is obliterated, leaving nothing as a reminder of its former existence as its scream quickly fades with the passing wind.

The other two cicadas fall shortly after this, granting the party members their victory, but at the cost of a bottle of Nectar. Amy groans, frustration apparent upon her features. "Gods be damned; that was so stupid." She sighs. "I wasted one of our Nectars, too; I'm so sorry."

Cyrus shrugs to this. "We have the funds to procure more, so pay it no heed. I'm just glad you're all safe." Hearing more buzzing in the distance, he says, "Let's get the Hell out of here." After departing from this area, the party discovers the exit-end of a future shortcut, along with the floor's second Take Point. After marking both of these on the map, Cyrus lets out a sigh and looks to the north. "That door is our only remaining path at present." Through this door is a sight most grotesque and foul, one that sends the hairs of the party to stand on end. "By the gods, what in the Seven Hells is that creature?"

At the eastern edge of this room is a massive purple creature that appears to be a scorpion cross bred with an ant. Its tail, lined with pointed spines on all sides, sports a large orange tip that seems to glow ominously. Curiously, the tail extends from the creature's head as opposed to its body, a fact that makes Clarisse and Lissa's stomachs turn. As it turns to take note of the Seekers, its face can be seen. It boasts a gaping maw, along with featureless yellow eyes. It does not appear to be incredibly hostile, and soon resumes periodically rotating. Of particular note is its pattern; it shifts from facing north, to south, and then west, skipping the east entirely due to there only being a wall in that direction.

Amy shudders at the sight. "My word, that is terrifying. Nii-chan, do something."

"You expect me to go over there? Amy, my sweet and precious little sister; you got me unbelievably fucked up." He motions to the giant scorpion for emphasis as he follows, "If you think I'm gonna waltz over there and address that creature, you are tripping harder than the Neo Soma junkie we met while traversing the Great Sea."

She looks to him, astonished and thoroughly taken aback. It's all she can do to cross her arms and frown at him while retaining her shock. "Well then."

"I didn't even think the Chief could talk like that." She looks to the southern end of the room, where a treasure chest awaits. Taking note of the sizable gaps preventing the party from just rushing to it, she hesitantly asks, "How are we gonna get that?"

Before long, Cyrus sighs and motions to go alone. He waits until the scorpion is facing north before dashing for the treasure chest. Though he procures the chest's contents, the scorpion catches sight of him intruding upon its territory, and endeavors to give chase; the Seekers are forced to leave the area entirely. Night falls by the time the party completely escapes from this scorpion, which puts them at the northern-most end of the floor's center. After catching their breath, the Seekers continue forward. The winds pick up, whipping at the party to slow their progress. Amy takes to holding on to her cat-eared hood, as well as pointing ahead to the winding path.

"I don't think we can walk through that!"

The party attempts to do so in defiance, and is soon knocked to the ground by a particularly powerful gust of wind. Save for Lissa, whose heavy gear allows her to slowly trek through the raging winds, the others are forced to crawl upon their stomachs in order to make further progress. By the time the wind lets up, the Seekers have arrived at the next door, albeit tired and battered. In the next room is another scorpion. The layout of this room forces the party to draw its attention so that they can slip by it as it makes its way back to its resting spot.

In the next room, the party elects to avoid traversing through the next door in favor of exploring the current area more thoroughly. While walking along the cliff side, Clarisse points to its apex, directing the party's attention to something producing a golden shine. Amy offers to climb the cliff side, taking a step back to look for proper footholds. The climb is exhausting, given her previous bout with the raging winds, but she eventually reaches the top. Up here are stalks of wheat; before she can gather them, a chirp stops her.

Beside her is a small squirrel-like animal. She blushes at the sight. "Aw, you're so cute."

Growing concerned, Cyrus calls out to her. "Amy? Is everything alright up there?"

"Yes, I have just met the most adorable squirrel!"

Lissa's expression becomes pale and ghastly at this. "Oh shit." She takes a step forward, ready to take aim and snipe the creature, only to see Amy climbing down. "You're…not harmed?"

"No, the sweetheart merely wanted the wheat that was up there. We can always gather more from far less dangerous areas, so I let this one slide." Taking note of Lissa's features, she adopts a look of concern and asks, "Lissa, what's the matter? You're looking awfully pale. Should we thread out?"

"N- No, I'm fine; it's just…squirrels are notorious in Lagaard; I was afraid for your safety." She shakes her head, clearing away her expression before she walks away. Amy is granted no room for further discussion on this matter, and simply shrugs before continuing along with her comrades.

The next room is the largest the floor has to offer, and features two scorpion FOEs guarding their nests. These two are simple to bypass, allowing the Seekers to reach the southeastern section of the floor. Curiously, there is nothing here beyond what Cyrus needs to add to make the map look properly complete. One last door stands before them; it opens to the room housing the staircase, as well as the entry-point for the only shortcut left to unlock. Standing off to the side, leaning upon the wall beside the shortcut, is a young woman 20 years of age.

She is currently wrapped in a blanket to shield herself from the occasional gust of strong wind. This blanket hides much of her gear, but the party can deduce that she is an Earthlain Masurao, much like Cyrus, by the katana resting at her hip. A breeze flows into the room, causing her flowing green hair to sway gently upon it. She shivers at this, as does Valerie, but both try to play it off by avoiding the act of acknowledging the fact. She raises her head to reveal a pair of focused, ocean-blue eyes scanning the party. They eventually fall on Cyrus, soon showing a sign of realization.

Cyrus' eyes light up in turn, causing him to absently call out a name. "Evelyn?"

The woman adopts a surprised countenance upon hearing this. "I am surprised to find you know my name. We haven't met before."

"Oh, ah…" He rubs the back of his head as his face turns red in embarrassment. "My apologies; you and I haven't met, at least not in this world." He falls silent at this, realizing the implications. "Ah, dammit, I should explain."

"You are Cyrus Coelistis, yes? The interloper?" He nods, remaining silent. "I know a fair bit about you from stories I've heard. Judging from your reaction, I can take this as a sign that you are on familiar terms with my counterpart in your world. As you guessed, my name is Evelyn." She takes a step forward, offering her hand in greeting. As Cyrus shakes it, she looks to the others and says, "It is my pleasure to meet the remainder of the Seekers as well."

Looking to Evelyn, Clarisse can only ask, "Are you an Earthlain Masurao?"

"That I am." She taps the scabbard at her side, a nostalgic smile taking over. "I hail from a nomadic tribe that favors the open plains of Etria. The bow and katana have always been my calling. During my time as an explorer, I have trained as a Ronin, a Shogun, and even found an instructor among the Sentinels of Tharsis." Another breeze blows through, causing her to shiver again; this time, she is forced to quickly turn away from the party so that she may sneeze freely. "Ugh, Stacy was right; my dress is too light for this Stratum." Glancing at Valerie, she follows, "I feel your pain, Harbinger."

Searching around, Lissa finds no signs of any other explorer having traveled through here recently. "You aren't traversing the Stratum alone, are you?"

"Hm? Oh, no, of course not. I trust in my skill, as well as my blade, but I could never get far without my comrades fighting beside me." She shuffles in place, soon pulling a small notebook from her person. "I had heard the Seekers were in Iorys, and had just made it to the Jagged Reach." Her face turns red, though the Seekers assume this is because of the cold. "I was hoping to run into you all up here so that I might meet your leader."

"You have business with the Chief?"

She nods, her smile becoming gentler as the cold gaze of her eyes eases into something softer. "Indeed. Six years ago, the Seekers Guild was founded in Etria, and conquered the dangers within the Labyrinth. I was but 14 at the time; I remember the party that was thrown in celebration of the defeat of a creature known as Primevil."

Lissa groans at this, lamenting to the sky by making sounds no one present can identify. "Oh I remember the hours we spent agonizing over a setup for that beast. I was so glad to be rid of that creature."

Cyrus chuckles at this, resting a hand in his pocket as he says, "Primevil wasn't that bad. Now, the Abyssal God? Hoo~ Now that was torture." Looking to Evelyn, he follows, "That thing could actually see briefly into the future during certain portions of the fight, and adjusted its chosen move accordingly. It was awful."

"You certainly didn't seem that way back then. The smiles your Guild wore back then were an inspiration to many, myself included. Do you remember a woman named Ren? She took me on as her apprentice and taught me the way of the sword."

"You're Ren's apprentice?" A smile overtakes his features at the notion; one can see the joy in his eyes as his memories rush to him. "Is she well? And Tlachtga?"

"They are both well. Master Ren would often comment on how you and Lord Yuki were her favorite opponents. She occasionally lamented that you two only dueled once, and under unfortunate circumstances." She fidgets in place, her nervousness beginning to show. "I wanted to thank you. As I said before, you were the one who inspired me to become an explorer. Though my accomplishments are my own, I still owe you a debt of gratitude for making these opportunities possible."

"I'm just glad things are working out for you. I'd feel horrid beyond words if my actions led someone to an untimely demise."

She opens her notebook and holds it out to him. Her reddened face intensifies in its embarrassed expression as she requests, "Please sign this." Without a word, Cyrus snaps a finger to summon a portal, from which he pulls an ink pen. No one in his party is able to see what he writes within the notebook, save for Evelyn, but the woman's satisfied smile is enough to leave them unconcerned. "Thank you; this means more to me than you know." She puts the notebook away, and then pulls out a guild card, prompting her and Cyrus to make an exchange. "I ask that you keep the Nomad Guild in your thoughts."

"I'll take care to do just that, Evelyn. Now, uh…you should probably get out of here before you catch your end from the cold."

"Tha-" she is cut off by another sneeze. "Ugh, my attire is not suited for this. That's the best idea I've heard all evening." She bids the party farewell before using an Ariadne Thread to depart. The Seekers unlock the shortcut and return to Iorys via the Geomagnetic Pole.

Before turning in, they make a stop at the Twilight Tavern. Mirina is still on duty, though the number of present patrons is surprisingly low. She smiles upon seeing the Seekers, and waves them over. "I was wondering when you guys would show up; you're starting your exploration awfully late tonight."

It is at this moment that Cyrus and Lissa arrive at a realization. Amy reaches it in turn, causing all three to face-palm in unison. Lissa says, "We forgot to come here before exploring the sixth floor."

"Oh, you've already finished the floor?" She winces, realizing that one of the quests would have been better to handle along the way. "Two of these Quests involve item collection, so you might already be done with them. The last one, though…yeah, you'll have to go back to the Labyrinth."

"Might as well take them," Cyrus says with a shrug. "If you would, Matron."

"Certainly. The first quest comes from a monster hunter who specializes in spell casting. Her traps are…unique. She makes these invisible magic rune circles that explode when stepped on."

Already knowing where this is going, Cyrus says, almost pleadingly, "Please tell me they deactivate after enough time has passed, or when its supplier exits a certain range. Hell, just tell me they can be deactivated remotely." Mirina's silence is telling. "Sweet merciful Scarlet Dragoon…why…"

"The caster is injured right now, and needs someone else to handle this in her place." She grabs hold of the map and points, to the surprise of everyone, to the room directly beneath the Amalgolem's combat chamber. The Seekers let out a collective sigh at this. "Probably should have made it clear that this was a First Stratum job; sorry for the scare."

Amy asks, "How many traps are there?"

"Three." She then hands the party two devices; one is used to detect sources of mana while the other is used to siphon said mana. "The detector is a bit imprecise, so be careful."

Looking to Cyrus, Valerie says, "The Chief here can handle that task with his Runic Eye, and if not, we always have Lady Gwenivere. Any other quests?"

"Yep, we have two more, at least for the sixth floor. This next one is pretty simple. The director of the Monster Observation Institute needs you to bring back three Feline Ears from Jumping Caracals. The last quest is from Syrik; you'll have to get the details from him; good luck out there."

They nod to her and then depart, making way for the marketplace. Syrik is still present, and seems to be enjoy himself as another sale is concluded. "Heya, Seekers; here to turn in some stuff?"

"We took your request."

"Thank goodness, I was hoping it'd be you. So, I'm lookin' to make a Resin Targe, but I need three Thick Saps for it."

Lissa raises a finger as she says, "Those likely come from the Take Points on the sixth floor. We can take care of the gathering tomorrow, but we should handle those runic traps straight away."

In light of this, the party sells its non-quest-related combat spoils to Syrik, subsequently bidding him farewell and making way for the Tutelary Forest. The verdant green and scent of nearby lakes is a welcome refresher after having to deal with the harsh and desolate peaks of the Jagged Reach. The party arrives at the location of the runic traps, allowing Cyrus to get to work. He looks to the north-eastern corner of this room and sets down a mana extractor. In but a few moments, a bluish runic circle rises from the ground and is absorbed into the extractor. Nodding to himself, he says, "That's one down."

The party watches as he makes his way around the room, eyes closed. His steps are steady as he hits the southern end near the ponds. Here, he uses two more mana extractors to remove the last two runic circles. The two were dangerously close to each other, and could have caused catastrophic damage to anyone unfortunate enough to trigger both in quick succession. Cyrus can be seen exhaling in relief; Lissa walks over to him and helps him to his feet. "You did well. Let's head back and get some sleep."


	14. The Big Bad Beast

**Chapter 14: The Big Bad Beast**

During the Seekers' gathering run the following morning, two more Feline Ears are obtained. Fae and Hayato's combined efforts reveal that Cyrus and Lissa were mistaken about the materials Syrik requires for the Resin Targe. The Thick Saps he requires are, in fact, not procured from the Take Points of the Jagged Reach. Lissa frowns upon realizing this notion, but she can do nothing except make her way back to the Geomagnetic Pole alongside her comrades. They return to the Twilight Tavern to turn in the reports for the two quests they have completed. Their rewards arrive in two sets; one consists of three units of Addle Gas; the other consists of two bottles of Medica III.

Cyrus alternates between looking at the bottles of Medica and Amy. A smile soon settles on his face as he says, "We are never using these." Amy nods to him and, along with Lissa, joins him to give a cheer in unison, "Too Good to Use Club!"

Clarisse leans over to Valerie and whispers, "Our people are weird."

"Agreed."

Instead of going back to the Labyrinth, the Seekers order a table to have a meal here in the Tavern. Aria takes a seat at their table, making herself right at home despite her anchor, Fiona, not being present. "Hey there, Seekers; I heard you made it to the seventh floor. You seen that giraffe with the feral eyes, yet?" Upon seeing Valerie reel backwards and don a confused expression, she chuckles. "Guess not. I haven't seen it either, but I heard it dashes back and forth, and attacks anything that gets in the way."

Cyrus shakes his head to this. "Feral giraffes; what is the world coming to?"

Aria crosses her arms and gives a nod in agreement. "It's a damn travesty." She looks over to the table next to theirs to see a Brouni Botanist wincing as he holds his arm. "You had a rough time of it, eh, Devlin?"

"I don't like moles…" Amy and Balto wince at this. "Your friends there understand…"

After the meal is complete, the party elects to take on a few more quests, one of which Mirina is happy to finally have off her plate. "That one there came from a persistent client." She points to a table off to the side, where a man sits dining on a sandwich, occasionally motioning towards a drink as he loudly converses with the other patrons. "You can talk to him for the details. There's one here from Jenetta, too. She's curious about a guest who's staying at her inn. I'm assuming she's romantically curious."

Cyrus sighs, a somewhat nervous smile forming on his face. "I sure hope it's Lady Gwenivere, or my wife is going to be very disappointed."

"Lady Gwenivere has feelings for Jenetta? I had no idea. Either way, you're gonna need to talk with Jenetta directly."

The party nods to this and approaches the incredibly loud guest. His voice wasn't terribly noteworthy before, but its intensity only seems to increase as they draw near. At present, he's shouting about some "mongrel that ruined his party's big chance." Upon noticing the Seekers, he looks to them with a scowl. "What d'you bastards want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Lissa sighs to this, hooking her arm around to prevent Valerie from giving this man a swift punch to the throat. "Calm down, Princess." Looking to the man, she adopts a scowl of her own. "We took your quest; show some hospitality."

"Huh? You did?" He clears his throat, a blush overtaking his face. "Forgive me for the outburst." He then becomes incredibly fidgety as he explains the nature of the quest. He stammers constantly, a stark contrast to his previous conversational flow. The man is by no means articulate, but the way he carried himself moments prior left no impression that he has trouble speaking to others. "There's an evil beast on the seventh floor that ruined my plans, even hurt my wonderful workers." He then slips up, claiming that some creature in the Labyrinth caught his team off guard after they captured it. He quickly, albeit clumsily, corrects this by saying, "It came out of nowhere and attacked us."

Cyrus can only stare at this man with a featureless expression. ' _Gods be good; I don't even need the Runic Eye to tell this man is lying._ '

Amy is feeling a similar state of disappointment. ' _Are we really about to do this? I could be deaf, drunk, and in another dimension entirely, but I'd still be able to tell this man is a charlatan._ ' When the man marks the location of the supposed evil beast, Amy's left eye twitches at the sight. "I sure hope the seventh floor isn't as much of a maze, otherwise it's going to be a right whoreson of an effort to get here."

They then take their leave, making way for Jenetta's Inn. "Welcome back, everyone~" Seeing their expectant faces, she realizes, "Oh, you must be here for the quest!" She sighs in relief. "I was worried I'd have to bare my heart to a total stranger. Speaking of baring hearts, about this request…"

Cyrus braces himself for the bad news. ' _It's not Gwenivere, Cyrus. You know it isn't._ '

"So there's this guest who's been staying here for a few days that I'm kinda curious about. He's so smart and handsome." It is at this moment that Cyrus glances to Amy, who can only shoot a nervous expression in reply. "I'm starting to wish he'd stay here at my inn forever…but you know the ancient Therian proverb: 'Iorys wasn't built in a day.' If I wanna win his affections, I'm gonna have to earn 'em!" Clarisse opens her mouth to clarify that no such Therian proverb exists, but relents when Balto headbutts her leg and shakes his head. "That's why I'm gonna make him a present!"

Valerie asks, "You need us to get the materials, right?"

"Yep. I need meat and Forest Wheat. Sorry to impose on you guys like this."

Cyrus shakes his head to this. "Worry not, Jenetta; we're happy to help."

"Oh, by the way, have you heard about a Second Stratum monster called the Impeding Tengu?" Everyone in the party shakes their head in reply. "When it's in danger, it uses other monsters to shield itself…just like my older sister!" Valerie and Amy have to hold their hands to their mouths to avoid bursting into laughter. "Whenever she was about to get in trouble, she'd blame it on me and then run away…wait, could it be that my big sis is a tengu?!" The need to resist laughing has Clarisse shedding tears, though she hides behind Cyrus to hide this. "No, no, that's totally impossible. Her nose isn't that long."

Being the only member of the party not occupied with containing his laughter, Cyrus presents the necessary ingredients to Jenetta. "Targeting the stomach; an age-old tactic, even in Erdboden." He chuckles. "It's a strategy I used to win over Amy's sister, though Ha-chan was already addicted to my cooking long before I grew to have feelings for her."

"Aw, how sweet. Hold on, let me go and prepare this dish." She disappears into the kitchen for a short period of time before returning. She calls out to someone, "Oh, Mr. Friedrich!" A swift rustling can be heard from upstairs, suggesting the individual is eager to answer her call. "My, my. Here he comes." A cat rushes down the stairs, causing everyone in the party to fall silent. Cyrus snickers, finally breaking. "Mr. Friedrich, please accept this as a token of my feelings…and, if it's at all possible…please stay here forever." The cat gives a single meow in reply, which brings Jenetta much joy. "He…he said 'YES!' Yay~" She then crouches down to pick up Friedrich, who allows this and nuzzles against her cheek as he purrs. "We're family now, Mr. Friedrich."

Friedrich is returned to the floor, allowing him to begin eating the dry cat food Jenetta has prepared for him. Lissa snickers at this notion. "That makes sense. How many cats have you won over with that recipe?"

"Over 20." Lissa's eyes widen at this. "I'll leave you all with another Therian proverb. 'A cat has nine lives. For three he plays; for three he strays; for three he stays.' I hope Friedrich stays for nine." Clarisse raises a finger to disprove this proverb, but then lowers it when she realizes that this is, indeed, a Therian proverb. When Gwenivere steps down, Jenetta looks to her with a smile and says, "Friedrich says he'll stay, Lady Gwenivere!"

"Ah, how wonderful, Jenetta. He's a sweet little kitten."

After wiping her eyes, Clarisse lets out a content sigh. "Damn, I needed that laugh; let's turn this in to Mirina and hit the seventh floor."

The party turns in their map of the sixth floor to the Council along the way. Assuming they won't be needing it, they continue on to the seventh floor. The initial area is a small enclosure featuring the exit-end of two shortcuts and a door directly across from the staircase. Stepping through this door greets the Seekers with the sight of a buff giraffe charging wildly until its head collides with a stone wall. Unlike the Charging Boar from the Tutelary Forest, this giraffe does not die from the impact; the creature doesn't even acknowledge the notion. Its tongue hangs freely from its mouth, its featureless red eyes unable to focus on anything in particular.

Clarisse points to the creature and just shakes her head; "We are so not messing with that." Just up ahead is Evelyn, who stands between two other explorers. One is a female Earthlain Harbinger; the other is a female Therian Pugilist. "Isn't that Evelyn over there?" Clarisse tests this by calling out to the group, which prompts them to walk over. "How's it going?"

Evelyn dons a smile as she looks over the party. "I am well, Clarisse; and you?"

"Eh, it ain't no thing." Pointing at the giraffe, she follows, "I don't like the look of that, though."

Looking to the creature, Cyrus comments on how "It appears to be taking a break. We'll keep this in mind for potential puzzles." He then gets to work on drawing the map, using magic to hold it steady in the air. "I sure hope we can use those to trample the scorpions or something similar to that effect."

The Pugilist points to Cyrus, an inquisitive expression on her face. Her blue eyes seem to twinkle as she watches Cyrus put his magic on display. "Is that Masurao using magic?" Upon taking a second look at Cyrus, she follows, "Wait…Lyn, is that the guy?"

"This is him, yes." She then takes the time to introduce her comrades to the party. Starting with the Pugilist, whose twin tail-styled black hair dances on the breeze, she says, "This is Melissa, our Pugilist."

"Nice to meet you guys; I've been traveling with Lyn since our time in Etria together. She never gets tired of talking about the Seekers." Evelyn blushes at this, looking elsewhere to avoid contact. A loud smack rings throughout the expansive room as Melissa plants her hand on her friend's back. "Buck up, girl! You were fine last night, right?"

"I didn't have you around to embarrass me, so yes."

"That's a funny way of saying I make everything better."

Evelyn scoffs at this, but does not give Melissa the satisfaction of a proper retort. She instead directs the party's attention to the Harbinger of her group. Her attire is comparable to that of Solor, consisting of designer robes rather than the elaborate dress worn by Valerie. Her scythe is somewhat flashy in its make, sporting a ruby red blade spitting forth from the mouth of a golden skull. Her emerald green eyes are accentuated by her scarlet-red hair, which is done up in a raised ponytail. "This is Stacy, our Harbinger."

Stacy scans the party, her attention resting on the Erdboden Trio. "You all seem strong, but there's something strange about the three up front." Melissa chuckles at this, and jokingly posits that Stacy is just sensing their veteran skill. She shakes her head to this. "No, it's nothing so abstract. What I'm sensing is real and concrete." She falls silent for a moment to put her words together; "I think one of them is a vessel of darkness."

Valerie looks to Cyrus and says, "Damn, Chief, these people can read you like a book."

"This Harbinger is certainly talented."

"So it's true? Is your life in danger?"

"It was before, but not at present; I spend my years training to remain ahead of my limit."

"I…I see." She then turns to Evelyn. "Sorry if I worried you just then. I think he'll be fine after all." Evelyn smiles at this, but says nothing in reply. "It was nice meeting you all, but we have to head back. Someone," she coughs, saying Melissa's name in a way that is definitely not subtle, "forgot the Ariadne Thread." The trio of the Nomad Guild then departs, leaving the Seekers to continue exploring this floor.

The giraffe proves to be simple to avoid, as its stomping ground is cited as a full rotation around the canyon's perimeter. In the next area, the party travels to map out a dead end when they are beset by three creatures. Two are Stun Cicadas, eliciting disgusted expressions from both Clarisse and Lissa. In between the two is a yellow squirrel with two white horns sticking from its head; the creature's bushy tail features a myriad of white spines protruding from it.

The battle begins as it usually does, with Cyrus giving an analysis. "The squirrel resists Head Bind, so focus on standard mitigation; Lissa, prep a Mana Guard to be on the safe side. Clarisse, don't summon Balto just yet." The squirrel never actually gets to use its volt-based attack, for it is focused down after proving strong enough to cause serious injury with just a tail swing. Once it is dispatched, the cicadas follow shortly behind. The rocky road upon which they travel soon leads to a large, rotted tree. "I wish to investigate. Cover me."

Peering inside the trunk, he finds a large insect. ' _Thank sweet Mother Etria that this wasn't a centipede._ ' Further observation reveals the black-pearl shell of the creature, as well as an impressive horn protruding from its head. ' _Huh, a rhinoceros beetle; a rare find. We could probably find a nice fancy home for it._ ' He takes hold of an empty bag and brushes sugar water against its interior. Opening the bag towards the beetle, Cyrus doesn't even get the chance to call out to it before the creature leaps inside. He chuckles at this before quickly creating a makeshift cage out of spare supplies. The beetle is transferred and looks quite content. "Worry not, friend; we'll find a new home for you."

"Appreciate it, bro; that tree was due to collapse any day now." As if on cue, the tree behind them collapses, causing both Cyrus and the beetle to jump in place. "Your timing could not have been any better."

"Glad we showed up."

Continuing with the adventure, the party now has to avoid a second giraffe. After charting the area, the party concludes that it must travel with the giraffe as it charges, rather than trying to out-pace it by going around its route in the opposite direction. The exit of this canyon leads into an enclosed passage that splits off in two directions. Taking the southern route, the Seekers venture into a rocky area with multiple boulders stacked on top of one another. Valerie's eyes don their glow, signaling the presence of a beast. In response, the party halts its advance and takes cover.

After scanning the area, Lissa directs her comrades' attention to the ground, where small footprints can be seen. "Whatever was here looked to have been stomping around in circles."

Cyrus adds, "It couldn't have been one of the giraffes; this area is far too small."

Balto looks to Clarisse and gives a low-volume bark. "Mistress, we should be able to track these creatures down." Looking to Cyrus, he barks once more. "What say you, leader?"

"Let's conserve our energy. There's no telling how large this floor might be. Our rations will hold for now." The next area strikes the party as incredibly dangerous. Two giraffes are present, and are charging freely despite the threat posed by the multiple gaps lining the mountainside. Cyrus finds his legs shaky, and has to stop at a dead end near a pile of Moon Apples. "S- Sorry, everyone; I need a minute."

Amy crouches beside him, soon holding a hand to his forehead to gauge his body temperature. "You're not burning up at least; feeling light-headed?" He shakes his head. "Then it's just nerves." She chuckles, letting out a sigh of relief shortly after. Taking a seat beside him, she follows, "I'm down for a break." She looks to the side, having taken notice of the apple pile. There is no tree nearby, nor does she see any other explorers. "Uh…who put these here?" A short wait provides her an answer. Conrad arrives on the scene alongside Abel, who is carrying two large baskets filled with Moon Apples. "Oh, hey Conrad."

"Greetings Seekers."

Abel flashes an affable smile as he sets the baskets down. "You guys takin' a break?"

Looking to Cyrus, Lissa says, "Yeah, our leader here does well against monsters, but heights get the better of him."

Expressing surprise at the notion, Conrad says, "I'm honestly surprised; you didn't seem the type to fear anything."

Shaking his head, Cyrus replies, "Try as I might to be rid of this, the fear never truly goes away." Looking to the apple pile, he asks, "Were you using these for anything in particular?"

"Since this place is impossible to miss, I figure we'd setup a pile here so other explorers could pick up rations as they explore." He then hands the Seekers a basket containing eight of these apples, shocking them with his generosity. As they try to return some of these, he laughs it off. "Don't worry about it; we're here to help each other, right?"

Abel laughs as he says, "Just pay it forward to someone else down the line."

Their hospitality is thanked before the Seekers depart. Much to Cyrus' chagrin, the means by which the two giraffes on these cliffs are avoided requires his party to wait out their stampedes in between areas that are disturbingly close to the gaps in the footing. Though they procure a Ward Chime from a treasure chest off a detour, Cyrus is notably displeased. "Why can it never be simple?"

Departing from this area brings the Seekers to a shortcut leading back to the staircase. Though it is promptly unlocked, they do not return to Iorys. Up ahead is Lili, who greets the party with her usual smile. "Ooh, a new party?" Taking another glance at Cyrus, she follows, "And you're a Masurao now. How interesting." Looking to Lissa and Amy, she asks, "Are these two ladies veterans, too?"

Amy nods, a smile on her face. "Indeed we are. Where's your guild, young lady? I can't imagine you traveling by yourself."

"I'm running solo right now." Amy's eyes widen at this, to which Lili giggles. "Don't worry; I'm as strong as I am cute. Oh, that reminds me…" she then hands a premium cut of meat over to the party, along with a unit of Thick Sap. "Something tells me you guys are in need of the sap; you can have this one. Hope it helps!" She then suddenly finds herself being lifted off the ground as Amy picks her up and squeezes her in an affectionate hug. "Whoa, it's OK!"

"Sorry about that, Lili. My sister…gets that way whenever she encounters that which she considers cute."

"Your sister?"

Amy sets her down, even taking a moment to smooth out her robe. "I'm Cyrus' sister-in-law, but we've been together since birth. He's my best friend, the person I trust above all others."

Lili nods to this, smiling again. "It's nice that you two are so close. Be sure to look out for each other while you're in here."

"Oh you needn't worry, sweetie; I'm also his personal doctor. Taking care of him is how I make my living." She then takes to rubbing her fingers together, smirking as she does so. "Business is often booming."

Pouting at this, Cyrus asks, "Was that a stealth diss, Amy?" She doesn't answer him. "Well I never." Lili laughs at their exchange before bidding the party farewell. Curiously, she exits via the entrance the Seekers stepped in through, rather than continuing on ahead. The party pays this no heed and continues forward. A Chop Point awaits at a dead end, which Cyrus notes on the map. "There's a shortcut here as well, but it's another exit-end."

Clarisse rolls her eyes at this. "How annoying. Well, I guess we better get to dealing with that giraffe back there." Turning around, she can see a trio of monsters. At the fore are two Jumping Caracals. In the back, however, is a black gelatinous creature with bits of purple coloring its form. The purple, when stared at for a moment, gives the creature a face, one that sports a smile most malicious. Clarisse shudders at the sight. "I don't like the look of that purple thing. Balto, do something!"

"Sure." He dashes past the Caracals to bite down on the leg of the gelatinous creature, which he then takes to repeatedly slamming it on the ground as if it were a chew toy. The party takes this opportunity to dispatch the Caracals. Due to having its legs effectively sealed for the entire encounter, the creature known as the Popping Gel is unable to do anything substantial, and is eventually defeated by the Seekers. Balto howls in victory before being showered in affection, courtesy of Clarisse, Amy, and Valerie. ' _I could get used to this._ '

Lissa chuckles at the sight, lightly nudging her elbow into Cyrus' side as she jests, "Look at him, taking after you."

"Oh, very funny, love." As they proceed through the stomping grounds of the next pair of giraffes, Cyrus looks to the map to find that the party is drawing near the location of the evil beast they are meant to slay. Taking another glance, his expression sports a frown as he says, "Looks like we missed an opportunity for a dead end; there could be treasure waiting there."

Clarisse snickers, waving her hand dismissively as she says, "Oh please, we all know you just want your map to look nice and pretty."

"Can't I want both? I can be greedy, too…" Rounding a bend, he catches sight of a large wolf, though it doesn't appear to be moving. He looks to the map and realizes that the wolf is in the location specified by the Tavern patron. Even from this distance, he can see that the creature is caked in dirt. "No…" He puts the map away and breaks into a dash towards the creature, giving his own allies no time to react. A quick assessment shows that, despite no present blood, the wolf has been horribly injured. "Can you speak, big guy?"

The creature opens its eyes to see the human looking down upon him in concern. With no strength to lash out or gain distance, he simply lets out a whine. "So this is how it ends…"

"Shit, I don't know if we can save you with these kinds of wounds." He checks the wolf's form again, which is when his allies catch up. They all adopt mortified expressions at the sight, with Balto stepping over to offer some support. "These…are whip marks…" Looking to the side, a rope can be seen tightly bound to both of the wolf's hind legs. "This is disgusting." Looking to Amy and Clarisse, his expression is stern as he asks, "Think you can save him?"

When they both step forward, supplies in hand, he gently sets the wolf's head back on the ground and steps away to give his allies space. The time spent waiting is done so in silence, with nothing but the occasional whistling winds to break up the bouts. Eventually, the pair sighs in relief, and makes it clear that the wolf will live. Before anyone can express joy to this notion, a smaller wolf arrives on the scene, and looks quite furious to see so many people around its parent.

The wolf they worked to treat rises to his feet and places himself between the Seekers and the pup. "These people are not enemies." Turning to the Seekers, he says, "Thank you. We must be going now, but this deed will not be forgotten." He then departs with the pup, who leans in close as they walk to offer support.

Rising to his feet, Cyrus begins leading his party onward. "Let's go. We're unlocking the next shortcut and reporting to Mirina. Lissa, you'll be Amy's handler in case things get too heated."

"Roger that." The path ahead is a straight shot leading to a tall vertically standing boulder. "Should we…push this?" She looks around the area to find that no one else is nearby, and there are no enemies to take note of. "I don't think this is a bad idea." Upon being given the OK, she, Cyrus, and Amy work in tandem to cause the boulder to collapse forward. The path forward is now cleared, granting the party access to the entry-point of the shortcut they noted a short while ago. Before departing they endeavor to map out that supposed dead end Cyrus mentioned before. At this dead end is a tree housing more Moon Apples. "Frankly, I'm a little surprised to find these growing up here."

The party departs from the Labyrinth to make way for the Twilight Tavern. Upon stepping inside, Mirina turns to greet them, but finds herself stopped by the intense glares upon the faces of both Cyrus and Amy. Their eyes scan the bar in search of their client; unfortunately for him, Amy spots him in the back, and takes but a single step forward. When her foot plants down on the wooden floor, everything that isn't nailed down lifts a few centimeters before settling back into place. The patrons fall silent, and can only glance among each other.

Failing to read the mood at all, the man cracks a smile and breaks the deafening silence. "There you are; you take care of that rotten mongrel?"

Pointing to the oddly unoccupied table next to her, Amy looks to Mirina and asks, "How much for this table?"

"H- Huh? Um, it was a gift when I opened the shop. It would probably run 700en, but since it's starting to rot in some areas I was thinking about selling it to a friend instead. She needs sawdust for a ritual, but I still need to buy the proper tools…why do you ask?"

"Don't worry about the tools; I'll do you a solid." She then slams her fist on the table, causing the entire piece to turn into sawdust that immediately settles on the floor. Everyone in the tavern jumps at this, some even going so far as to take a step back in fear. Pointing to the client, Amy's eyes take on a fiery hue to match her anger. "When I get my hands on you, you're gonna be that table!"

' _Holy shit, this is bad._ ' In an effort to diffuse the situation, Mirina says, "Amy, calm down and tell me what happened."

"That bastard put in a request to have us kill an innocent animal!" Looking to the client, she can only grit her teeth. "That wolf had a small pup looking after him; what the Hell is wrong with you?!"

"Are you…are you saying that mutt is still alive? You didn't kill it?!"

"No, we didn't, you disgusting lout!"

"Fucki- can't you explorers kill one stupid wolf?! What are you even good for?!"

"Oh, you need another demonstration? Happy to oblige, you smegma-sucking degenerate!" She then cracks her knuckles, her blinded rage making it all too clear that she is ready to abandon all pretense and charge for the loud patron, signaling Lissa to step in and keep her ally at bay.

Pulling Amy back by the waist she says, "He's not worth it, Amy; you're a doctor, not a murderer."

"Lissa, let me go; the world won't miss him!" She looks to Cyrus, who takes a step forward. "Cyrus, tell her." When he doesn't respond, she calls out to him again, assuming he didn't hear her over the commotion that has begun. "Cyrus?"

He glares at the client sitting on the other side of the tavern, but makes no motion to approach further. "Have you no respect for life that isn't yours?"

"Why should I give two shits about some dumb beast? It ruined my profits, so it had it comin'."

"Ah, so you deem it acceptable to whip a creature to within an inch of its life so long as it's not human? Do you act this way with Therians, as well? For the record, I currently deem you to be less than human because of your actions; does that give me free reign to beat you senseless?" His answer is silence. "I see, so you are also a hypocrite." He scoffs, his disgust intensifying. "You have twenty-four hours."

"What?"

"Oh, are you as hard of hearing as you are repulsive?" He then disappears from sight before just as swiftly returning to view; he is now directly in front of the client, with the runic pattern in his left eye having donned a purple glow. "I'll say this but one more time, so I advise you to listen. You have until this time tomorrow to leave Iorys, otherwise I'll personally hunt you down."

"Whoa, whoa, Chief, we don't need to do all that." Valerie catches Cyrus' momentary attention with this, though he quickly looks back to the client. ' _Bugger me, he's not listening._ ' She looks to the others for some assistance, but they are likewise at a loss. What's worse, Clarisse and Amy appear ready and willing to goad Cyrus into immediate action. ' _They're not helping._ ' Turning her sights back to the Guild's leader, she says, "Look, all I'm saying is that the last guy you hunted got admitted to a mental institution; I don't think we need to go this far."

"You're conveniently forgetting that the last guy tried to murder my wife."

"Well…shit, that's true; he did have it coming. Um…please rescind the threat?"

He snickers at this, electing to give Valerie his proper attention. Though his expression is now gentle, the anger in his eyes is still apparent. "Valerie, you sweet and naïve little flower; how many times must I tell you that I don't make threats? I make promises." Turning to the client, his hateful glare returns as he follows, "Keep in mind that a Coelistis doesn't break a promise. Twenty-four hours." He turns away from the client to approach Mirina. "Do you have storage units for the sawdust?"

She nods, jabbing a thumb towards a collection of empty barrels. "Yeah, I can use those." He then snaps his fingers, causing the pile of sawdust to levitate before being evenly distributed among the barrels. "Uh…wow. Thanks; I didn't know you were capable of using telekinesis."

"Pardon? I am nothing so gifted; that was wind magic – spent years working on various applications." He then takes a moment to bow in apology; "A thousand pardons for the disruption; we'll be taking our leave, now." Advancing towards the tavern's exit, he raises a hand to his team as he says, "We're heading out, Seekers."


	15. Dressed For Success

**Chapter 15: Dressed for Success**

After purchasing some bottles of medicine from Syrik, the Seekers return to the seventh floor to resume their exploration. Clarisse pulls her whistle from her neck to summon Balto, who appears to the party as he emerges from the shortcut they just unlocked. He gives his body a shake before letting out a yawn, looking to his mistress as he asks, "How messy was the slaughter?"

"They didn't kill him, Balto."

"Mistress, please; I'm older than you – I can handle gruesome news." Seeing her rest her hands on her hips gives him further confirmation. Looking to Amy, he barks but once. "I am impressed with your restraint." He then remembers that Amy doesn't understand him, and lets out a whine. Cyrus translates for him, allowing Amy to receive the message properly. "Thank you, Cyrus. What's in that bottle you have there?"

Looking to the bottle in question, Cyrus motions to present it forward. "This is a bottle of Hamao, a restorative that recovers both health and combat stamina." He smiles, giving the contents of the bottle a slight shake. "These are fairly expensive at this point of the adventure, but they are still a means of preserving our ability to use Skills before Amrita can be farmed." He then hands the bottle over to Clarisse; "You might as well drink this now, Clarisse. From what I understand, using that whistle drains you of energy."

"Huh? But I di-" She then looks to Lissa; "Did you tell him?" Lissa shakes her head, prompting the Rover to look to her comrade with a confused countenance. "When did you realize that?"

"I'm always keeping an eye on my allies, Clarisse. Keeping me in the dark about such things is no simple task."

She scoffs at this, crossing her arms and shooting a smirk his way. "Big talk, comin' from the guy with an entire story to hide."

"Now, now, I made it perfectly clear that I'm willing to share my history to those of you who are curious. You're the ones who aren't asking."

"Oh, so it's our fault for not asking?"

"Precisely."

"Lissa, are you really gonna marry this guy?"

"Yes."

Clarisse makes no effort to retort after this, instead easing her smirk into a blank stare directed at both Cyrus and Lissa before she moves on ahead. The rest follow suit, soon returning to the point where they pushed the tall boulder to clear a path. Curiously, the boulder is now standing once again. Valerie points at it, confused, and more than a little cautious of the surrounding area. "OK, now who in the Seven Hells could possibly lift that?" She glances to Amy, and then turns to the rest of the party just as they are preparing to point at the Pugilist. "And don't say Amy, because she couldn't have had the time to do so." Looking ahead shows that there is another boulder to collapse, but the party can approach it from several different vantage points. "We…yeah, we better choose wisely, otherwise we can't get that treasure chest."

Lissa points to the treasure chest in question, specifically pointing out the stretch of land that rests near the gap of space separating the Seekers from their prize. "We just need to approach from the west or the east. If the boulder falls to the east, it won't land anywhere important to us, and the outcome seems to be the same if it falls west."

A more thorough investigation reveals that the party, should they want the treasure chest, has no choice but to push the boulder so that it falls westward, for there is no way to approach it from the west due to the gaps making travel impossible. This notion only serves to make Cyrus further retreat into his own shell, growing quieter by the minute. Amy goes so far as to occasionally check her left flank to make sure he hasn't stopped moving entirely.

Upon claiming the bottle of Soma from the treasure chest, the party is met with a rather vexing revelation. Looking at the map, the two stone pillars are placed in such a way that the party was forced to commit to only procuring one of the two treasure chests. Valerie's left eye twitches at the notion. "That explains why the boulders reset, at least from a dungeon design standpoint."

Scratching her head, Clarisse says, "I mean, yeah, you're right, but that doesn't make sense from a logical one. Like, how would you even know the boulders work that way? And why setup two chests like this in the first place, you know?"

Cyrus frowns as he draws the map. "This is woefully inefficient." Amy and Lissa pat him on either shoulder, offering comforting words to ease the sadness commanding his expression. Just up ahead is another sealed door. "Wow, this Yggdrasil Labyrinth has offered more sealed doors in just its first seven floors than Tharsis' Yggdrasil did in its entirety." He looks to the left to see the ascending staircase. "Are you serious?" After ascending for a cursory glance of what is to come, the party proceeds back downstairs to unlock the final shortcut available to them.

En route to this shortcut, they endeavor to fill in the map's remaining dead ends. One leads to the second Chop Point of the floor. The second takes the party to a blue flower that is blossoming from within the rocky wall ahead. After gazing upon this flower for a bit, Lissa shakes her head. "I'm getting Wrath Bloom vibes, and I don't like that. Let's get out of here." The party is given no further explanation on what a Wrath Bloom is until they depart from the area. A door lies beyond the shortcut leading back to the descending staircase to the sixth floor; though the party maps out the room's dimensions, they do not explore it proper, instead returning to Iorys.

Their first stop is the Council Hall, where Ramus appears to be enveloped within internal conflict. Clarisse waves to him and asks, "Something on your mind, Prince Ramus?"

"Ah, the Seekers. Hello, Clarisse. I was just weighing a decision that's been on my mind recently. Do I learn to bake a new, tougher rye bread, or should I take the leap and learn to make cheese?" Amy and Valerie both raise their hands, placing their support squarely in the cheese camp; Ramus chuckles at this. "Yes, cheese is delectable, and being ambitious never hurt." He is then handed the party's map of the seventh floor; "Your Guild certainly wastes no time. I shall add it to the registry immediately. Thank you."

The party departs from here to check in with Mirina at the Twilight Tavern. Understandably, a fair number of the patrons are nervous with the presence of the Seekers looming amongst them. Mirina, however, sports her usual affable countenance as she greets them. "Welcome back." They all take a seat after returning the greeting. "You all look…underwhelmed."

Resting his cheek in his hand, Cyrus looks to her despondently and replies, "The rest of the seventh floor was blitzed through. I was just surprised to find that there were no more FOE puzzles on the western half."

"Oh, so you've made it to the eighth floor, then."

Joining in on the conversation, Aria takes a seat next to Cyrus and puts on her usual smile. "You guys heard about the weird monkey monster with the big ol' nose?"

Nodding, Mirina says, "I was just about to tell them about it." Cyrus informs them that Jenetta revealed this very information earlier in the day. "Is that right?"

"Oh, but did you know that this thing will knock down pillars and chase after you if you enter its territory?" The party's blank expressions bring a smile to her face. She slaps her knee, letting out a loud laugh in triumph. "You guys can't be ahead of the curve all the time."

After a moment of thinking, Valerie looks around the table and presents an idea. "You know, if that monkey can hit us with the boulders, we can probably return the favor." Aria's expression lights up at this shortly before she praises Valerie for reaching the same conclusion. "I do have my moments." Looking to Mirina, she asks, "Got a job for us?"

She hands Cyrus a clipboard; the contents therein causing the man's brow to furrow, which doesn't leave his comrades enthused. "I suppose we'll take this one, as I assume it's from Thadius."

"You're right." She points to a nearby table, where Thadius can be seen sipping tea alone. "Feel free to ask him for the details."

Returning the clipboard to her, he says, "We're in no real position to handle the other two at present, but we'll be back for them." He then directs his party over to Thadius' table; taking a seat, he says, "We meet again, Thadius. How goes?"

"Things are well, Cyrus; I hear your Guild is making good progress as usual. How's the wife? Er, wives?"

He looks to Lissa, who is currently arm-wrestling with Clarisse. "Lissa is well, as is Lady Gwenivere. How may we assist you?"

"I am in need of certain materials to make another important component of our wedding." His expression becomes distraught, and eye contact is momentarily broken as he looks to empty space nearby. When he looks back to Cyrus, his countenance is no less distraught, but he appears committed. "This is a deadlier request than before, so I am…concerned about putting it forward."

"The Seekers have been through much worse and for lesser reasons; friend, speak your piece."

"I…yes, thank you." He smiles. "You all are a gift from above, truly. I am in need of some Silk String in order to fashion a bridal gown. This item can be obtained from the nest of the caterpillar monster on the second floor. May I see your map?" After being handed the party's map of the second floor, Thadius points to the entirety of the eastern third of the floor. "I am sorry I cannot be more thorough in its location, but the nest is somewhere in this region."

"Huh. So we just have to brave a Toxipede; that's…actually far simpler than I thought it was going to be." He rises from his chair, a smile on his face. "Worry not; we'll take care of this in no time." Stepping away from the table, he begins heading towards the exit. "Let's head out, team." Upon arriving at Jenetta's Inn, he calls for a minor team adjustment. While the current team remains largely the same, Hayato is swapped in for Valerie.

They depart from the inn around 8PM, and soon arrive on the second floor for the first time in quite awhile. To the right is a Toxipede, one that causes the party to perform a double take. The creature appears to be disinterested in the party, a notion further emphasized by its decision to turn its back to them and depart from the area. Pointing at it with an underhanded finger, Clarisse openly questions its decision.

Crossing her arms, Lissa adopts a dubious expression. "Do you suppose it's leading us deliberately?"

Looking to her, Hayato shakes his head. "These things are bit too big to be stealthy, right?"

"I suppose you have a point, but I would remain cautious all the same."

Instead of following the Toxipede directly, the party takes the western route, stopping at the campsite to cook up more provisions. Two total hours are spent tracking the Toxipede before it ceases its trek at C5, near the now empty treasure chest the Guild pilfered some time ago. The creature appears to be tending to its nest, and has no comrades in sight. The Seekers wait things out for a time, but eventually realize that this Toxipede is not going to leave. They resolve to step forward and make their presence known.

It is only after they do so that a malicious presence that was once masked makes itself known. The party needs but a single glance to realize they have been surrounded on all sides by three additional Toxipedes. Resting his hand on the hilt of his katana, Cyrus eases into a combat stance and scans for an opening. Failing to find one, he nods to himself. "We're spending the first few rounds setting up our defenses. Lissa, we'll need two Bunkers. Lord Hayato, give us the Blaze Prayer; Clarisse, you're on Aegis duty." A brief white flash overtakes the forms of Cyrus, Amy, and Hayato, soon converting into a white barrier that protects the entire party from the first Toxipede's attack.

The opening created by the use of Tri-Shield, in addition to sparing Lissa from an incoming Toxic Fang, grants the Seekers free agency to establish a foothold on the battlefield. Cyrus jumps to the top of Lissa's deployed bunker, diverting the collective focus of the Toxipedes over to himself. This grants Hayato the opportunity to imbue everyone's weapons with the element of fire through the use of Blaze Prayer. Taking advantage of her distracted foe, Clarisse coats an arrow in some sort of liquid solution stored within a bottle in her pouch, takes aim, and fires an arrow into the Toxipede just as Cyrus stabs his katana into the beast.

By this point, two of the other Toxipedes have joined the fray, with the last one not too far behind. With two bunkers deployed and the rest of their setup established, the party works to focus down one Toxipede at a time. The strategy proves effective, though without Valerie here to sap the enemies of their strength, the bunkers are quickly worn down. By the time two of the Toxipedes have been vanquished, one bunker has been completely destroyed; though the second is not too far behind, Lissa only has enough combat room to deploy one more, lest she impede Balto's ability to assist the party. She calls for the others to give her some cover while she fortifies the team's defenses.

To facilitate this, more so to cover her bases, she triggers a Union Skill between her, Clarisse, and Cyrus to make use of Tri-Shield one additional time. She unintentionally exhales a sigh of relief upon seeing her decision spare Cyrus the misfortune of being struck by Toxic Fang. ' _That's good. I'd hate to see him poisoned a second time because of me…_ ' Her efforts also allow the party to make one last push to vanquish another Toxipede, leaving only one standing. Hayato is looking particularly tired, even after making use of the Mana Heal Union Skill to restore the party's stamina. "We're almost through here, Lord Hayato."

Pulling back on the drawstring of his bow, he lets out a huff as he takes aim at the Toxipede. "Oh please, this is nothing!"

Amy clenches her fist, a flash of white overtaking her form, as well as Cyrus'. "Nii-chan, I'm going in! Help me out!" The two charge ahead of the party to launch a team attack. Cyrus sheathes his katana and then disappears from sight. When he reappears, he is directly beneath the Toxipede, effectively within its blind spot. He delivers a single drawing slash to its legs before sheathing his weapon and disappearing again. Amy takes the opportunity to dash over and deliver a flaming uppercut, unleashing a battle cry that shakes the very ground of the battlefield.

The Toxipede picks itself back up after this, and even goes so far as to withstand the Seekers' following assault long enough to strike at Amy. She retaliates in kind, her eyes suddenly burning with intense rage as she whips her fist to strike the creature in the side of the head. The Toxipede is left reeling after this, and finally succumbs after one last slice to the neck from Cyrus. The party lets out a collective sigh of relief to be done with this encounter, and checks the area before any weapons are sheathed.

Turning to his team, Cyrus asks, "Is everyone alright?" He exhales another relieved sigh upon seeing his comrades give him an affirmative answer. "You all fought well." He looks to Lissa and dons a grin. "Smart call retaining your Union Skill use, Lissa; that second Tri-Shield saved me from a nasty bite."

"Y- Yeah, well…didn't want a repeat, you know?"

"A repeat? Of what ex-" the memory returns to him, completely derailing his train of thought. "Ah, you mean back in Etria." He shakes his head, letting out a dismissive chuckle. "My dear, that's ancient history, and in case you've forgotten, I jumped in front of you by my own volition."

"Cyrus, that poison damn near killed you back then. It…" she sighs, momentarily holding a hand to her head as if suffering a sudden headache. She then shakes her head before looking to him again. "That was the second time you saved me. The first was against that Mantis Rare Breed, the FOE in the Emerald Grove."

"Yeah, I remember; were it not for Lily using Blood Fortune, my use of Head Pierce might not have actually killed the creature. I was glad I didn't fail you."

"As was I. But you know, that event with the Waspior made me realize something. I- I almost died trying to save Leon and Eva from that mantis; if you hadn't come along, I wouldn't be here. I realized with the Waspior poisoning you that I really wasn't cut out for protecting others."

"You say that, but your ability to disable the enemy saved my arse plenty of times when we were just running as a duo. Evasion tanking was Eva's profession, and while that is a more conventional means of protecting someone, your own method was by no means inferior." He smiles at her again, stepping over to rest a hand on her shoulder. "The past aside, you make a splendid conventional tank now; my mother would be proud to see someone as competent as you in our family."

Her face turns red at the praise, though she says nothing in reply. Instead, she pulls him into an embrace, practically crushing him. Despite his confusion, Cyrus rests a hand on the back of her head. "I think I've found that strength you showed me back then; let me use it to protect you and the rest of our friends."

"Of course, Lissa." His smile quickly eases into a thin line when he sees Clarisse grinning at him. "You got something to say, flower girl?" Her expression goes red at this, wiping the grin from her face almost immediately. "Oh, haven't you heard? You're gonna be the flower girl for Lissa's wedding." He then separates from Lissa, looking to her as he asks, "She'd be a good fit, right?"

"Do I look like a damn child to you, Co?!" He turns around to make way for the caterpillar nest, driving her ire further. "Don't you walk away from me!"

After a short search, the party procures the silk string Thadius requires. Instead of heading back to the Twilight Tavern immediately, they return to the inn to assemble a gathering party and then make way for the seventh floor. Before anyone can set off, Gwenivere calls for her comrades' attention. "Gather around, everyone, for I have been working on a new spell to expedite our excursions." She holds out her staff, raising a hand just above the crystal embedded within. After a few moments of focus, she recites a short chant and casts a spell that casts a thin white veil over each party member.

Fae looks around, but can't tell what has changed. She looks to Gwenivere, who is quite proud to see that her spell succeeded. "Um…what happened?"

"Sweet little Fae, I have just cast a spell of invisibility; monsters will have a more difficult time detecting us." She grabs the child by the hand, leading her onward. "Let us commence the gathering."

Arriving at the Chop Point in C5, the party is quite surprised to see how effective Gwenivere's spell is. Normally, they would have run into an encounter by this point, with another on the horizon. Instead, they arrive just before midnight, and work to procure what can be found. In addition to more units of Thick Sap, the party acquires a thin yet sturdy branch, as well as a twisted tree root that jutted from the ground. The party attains a sizable haul, and decides to return to Iorys to sell these materials off to Syrik.

With his request complete, the Seekers return to the Twilight Tavern. Cyrus lets out a sigh of relief to find Thadius is still here; the man is currently lost in a read. He glances to the side upon hearing Mirina greet her guests, likely in hopes of seeing the Seekers. To his joy, they are the ones who arrive, prompting him to bookmark his reading material before storing it away. As the others take a seat, he looks to see Gwenivere beside Cyrus. "This is the first time I've seen you both together. Lady Gwenivere has spoken quite fondly of you, Cyrus."

"Any particular comments?"

"Oh, hm…ah, she once said that she makes it a point to be a liege worth serving faithfully. Though she harbors this mentality towards all her walks of life, she especially keeps it in mind with you."

"This is true; 'tis only natural that a future Overlord carry herself with such import." She then presents the silk string Cyrus' team worked to collect. "This is such beautiful silk; I have no doubt that you will weave this into a beautiful wedding dress for your beloved."

Thadius takes the moment to study the silk for himself. "Mia will be so happy…I truly cannot thank you all enough for your continued assistance. I am a lanky sort as you can see, even by Celestrian standards, but Mia, the gentle soul that she is, fell for me in spite of that, and continues to love me even now."

Lissa dons a soft smile, her attention caught by the silk resting upon the table. "It's likely because of your devotion. Loyalty can be a fickle thing; it can be challenged even by something as petty as self-doubt." Her smile shifts to form a frown, accentuated by a despondent expression. "My friend Amber nearly lost her own shot at finding happiness because of that doubt." She glances at Cyrus, her smile returning. "We worked things out after a proper talk, but it was causing problems with our combat efficiency for a good while back in Armoroad."

"I'm glad to hear that the situation was resolved without incident. I can only hope that she continues to live with that joy." He rises from his seat and takes a moment to shake everyone's hand once more. "I must be going now; I have a dress to fashion. Please take care out there, Seekers."

He then departs, leaving the party to make the reports to Mirina. Upon claiming their rewards, they all return to Jenetta's Inn to turn in for the evening. The second squad awakes bright and early to get started on exploration of the eighth floor. A guard arrives just after breakfast is over to return their maps of the Second Stratum; before setting off to Yggdrasil, a visit is paid to Syrik. The merchant is quite busy in his own right, as he is dealing with several other customers bombarding him with questions concerning the gear he sold to the Seekers.

"I don't know what the Seekers said about me, but you guys have the wrong idea; my wares don't let you teleport or anything that extraordinary." He chuckles, scratching his cheek as he says, "Sure, my gear will protect you from a Glaring Stinger, but teleportation? You might wanna go to a Celestrian for that." He glances to see the Seekers approaching; "Perfect timing; what did you guys do yesterday?" Upon seeing the party's collective confusion, he shakes his head. "Come on, don't give me that. My customers are all fired up because of you; I appreciate the advertisement, really, but their expectations are…out there."

One such customer is a Therian Masuraro, whose expression brightens upon seeing Cyrus. He points to the man for emphasis as he directs his attention to Syrik. "That's the guy; you should have seen him. He just blinked out of existence and then reappeared in front of some loud mouth animal abuser."

Syrik glances at the Therian, and then to Cyrus. Eyebrow raised, he asks, "Is that true?"

"Indeed. I see what's going on now." He gives a short bow to Syrik in apology and then turns to face the mistaken explorers. "Syrik's wares are certainly of an impressive make, but aside from a few cross-class Skills, they haven't allowed us to do the impossible."

"But, you're an Earthlain; I've never heard of your kind using warp magic. I've never heard of an Earthlain moving so fast that he becomes invisible either. If that's all you, then what's your secret?"

"Training? Where I come from, Flash Stepping isn't just a skill you learn as a katana wielder; it's a rite of passage." He takes a moment to think on that, adopting a contemplative stance to emphasize the notion. "Now that I think about it, that may only apply to the family whose service I was taken into. They value agility and dexterity over brute strength."

"So…how do I train to do what you did yesterday?" Cyrus then snaps his fingers, summoning a portal of darkness leading to Erdboden. He places his hand within and moves his arm for a moment or two before eventually pulling back with a book in tow. He checks the front cover, giving a single nod and smiling before he hands the book over to the Masurao. "This book?"

"Indeed. It's a training manual that I used when I was eight; I still reference it to this day. When you're done with it, please leave it with Jenetta at her inn."

"Uh…sure, thanks!" The Masurao's beaming expression persists as he departs from the marketplace with his party in tow. "I appreciate it!"

Syrik sighs in relief. "Thanks, Cyrus."

"Please, it was the least I could do after the trouble I caused."

"So, you guys here to sell some materials?" Cyrus shakes his head, and then places a sum of ental onto the counter before putting in an order for a new scythe. "Ah, so the Princess is upgrading, eh?"

"Oh geez, you're calling me by that name, too?" She then glances at Clarisse, who reflexively looks away to hide the grin on her face. She sighs before putting her own sum of ental onto the table. "Give the Chief here a new pair of boots, good sir; I hear the spring shoes increase agility."

"You hear correctly, your highness. Pleasure doing business, as always." After giving the two their purchased gear, he asks, "Have you heard the rumors of a primordial elephant living somewhere on the eighth floor?" The Seekers shake their heads. "I hear it's way bigger than your typical pachyderm, and it makes an earthquake with every step."

Cyrus says, "Sounds like an optional boss. It's likely leaps and bounds ahead of the actual Stratum Boss of the Jagged Reach."

"That means its materials have to be worth a ton, right?"

"That doesn't even begin to describe it; the gear you could forge from that creature will be the best of its type, boasting no equal within the remainder of this Yggdrasil."

"Ooh, now there's a nice tune. Though…I bet the beast would be really hard to bring down."

Cyrus nods to this. "We won't be tackling it until much later. Look forward to it."

The party then departs from the marketplace to make way for Yggdrasil once again. Stepping up to the eighth floor, they head east to find the exit-end of a shortcut, as well as a door. Instead of stepping through this door, they elect to traverse the western path to see where it might lead. At the end of a short path, they find Syrik, whose presence causes everyone to adopt looks of confusion.

"Hey guys."

Clarisse doesn't even bother with trying to make sense of this. "How did you even?"

"Hm? Oh, I took a shortcut."

"What shortcut?! We got here before you! Screw it, what are you even doing here?"

"I'm here to peddle my wares, of course. Gotta advertise; the Labyrinth's as good a place as any. Since you're here, I'll give you a discount; check out my stock."

He then puts a trio of item sets on display; three bottles of Nectar are grouped together under the blanket price of 300en; three bottles of Amrita are being sold for 1000en; and three Analysis Scopes are being sold for 120en. Lissa lets out a sharp whistle, resting her hands on her hips as a conflicted expression overtakes her countenance. "Man…those Nectars would be a steal, but we have plenty because of that quest reward." She looks to Cyrus, who is eyeing the bottles of Amrita. She knows that look of his quite well; ' _I occasionally catch him looking at me like that…_ ' She shakes her head. "Don't do it, love; as good as they are, we need to conserve."

"My love…we need these."

"We really don't, though; I don't know if you've noticed, but you've been handling our stamina management quite well. Buying these now would just give you agency to be reckless."

Amy then grabs hold of Cyrus, taking him into her arms as if he were a bride. "Yeah, we can't have that." She nuzzles his cheek, only confusing him further. "Time to go, nii-chan." She departs from the area with Cyrus in tow, completely ignoring her captive's protests. Syrik has a laugh at this before he packs his wares and departs from the Labyrinth. The others pick up their pace in order to catch up to Cyrus and Amy. Not long after doing so, the party is beset by two creatures. Amy sets Cyrus down to allow him the freedom of leading the group. One of the creatures is a Rending Mole. The other appears to be a stingray sporting a color scheme consisting of two shades of gray – one light; the other dark like ash.

Valerie takes a step back as she draws her scythe, unnerved by the gaze of the stingray's featureless yellow eyes. "Shouldn't this thing be in the water or something?" The creature then gurgles at her, brandishing its pronged tail menacingly. "Bro, if you come near me, I will cut you."

The battle begins as Cyrus puts the mole to sleep through the use of Haze Slash. ' _It's about time I got that to work._ ' He glances towards the stingray to find that it has whipped its tail to send forth a wave of energy; Cyrus is too slow to react, and has his arm bound to his body as a result. He releases his grip on his katana, only to use his foot to kick it towards the sky. "The mole's asleep; concentrate on that stingray!" Before his comrades can act, he jumps back in preparation of his katana's descent. After exhaling, he charges towards the stingray, catching his weapon with his teeth as he motions into a swing.

The mole remains asleep long enough for the Seekers to deal with the new enemy, which is dealt with swiftly once Amy grabs hold of its tail to prevent its use; the mole is dispatched shortly after. Opening the Monstrous Codex, the party searches for this new creature's entry while Clarisse summons Balto. The stingray is revealed to be a Stoneray, though it lacks the ability to inflict Petrifaction. Like the Rending Mole, this creature is also highly susceptible of being put to sleep.

Looking to Cyrus, Clarisse says, "You do some pretty weird things when you're at a disadvantage." She runs ahead to peer around the next bend, only to hold up her hand as she turns around in disappointment. "It's just Forest Wheat; let's head through that door." En route to this door, the party encounters an Enemy Set that offers another new opponent. A Popping Gel rests at the fore, while a large goat with even larger horns waits on the back line. "That goat looks ready for a fight." As if to demonstrate her point, the goat attacks Valerie, sending the distressed girl into a panic. Clarisse and Balto work to seal the creature's legs to hinder its movements before rushing over to calm Valerie down.

For good measure, Amy delivers a clean blow to the goat's head, shattering one of its horns in the process. ' _Oops. That wasn't supposed to happen._ ' Regardless of her intent, this makes it much easier to avoid the Cliff Goat as the Popping Gel is dealt with. The battle concludes shortly after, with the party no worse for wear. "Let's keep moving." The party steps through the door on the eastern end of the floor's starting area, and is greeted with a large open area. "Did we step into a canyon?" Looking to the ground, she can see the remnant of giant footprints and collapsed pillars. "I think that elephant might be real."

A set of heavy footsteps echoes from deeper within the canyon, putting the Seekers on guard. A moment passes as the steps grow closer, a massive creature emerging from the area beyond to mark itself as the owner. A colossal elephant sporting a grayed beard stands before them; its trunk is lined with spikes, its tusks sporting regal golden bands. The creature appears to be garbed in more regal wear upon second glance, though the Seekers have no idea who dressed it, how the task was done, or why it was done. Looking to his team, Cyrus calls for a retreat, deeming this a matter the Council should hear about.


	16. A Beast Born to Fight

Author's Notes: _Two days were missed due to the Third Stratum Boss. Its recording took longer than anticipated and the corresponding video ran into several render-based errors that essentially robbed me of computer use for much of that day. As compensation, Chapters 16 and 17 will be up on the same day._

* * *

 **Chapter 16: A Beast Born to Fight**

The Seekers arrive at the Council Hall, conveniently at a time when Prince Ramus is free. "Greetings, Seekers…you don't look so well. Is everything alright?" After recounting the encounter with the titanic elephant, Ramus' expression sinks into a frown. "So you've seen it, too. This is troubling." He looks to a window above, momentarily at a loss on how to proceed. "Similar reports have come in from other explorers." He looks to the Seekers again, his expression retained. "I had hoped we were merely hearing exaggerations, but coming from you, it must be the truth." He sighs. "The Council will not ignore this. I have a mission for you."

Valerie asks, "Have you any idea what this creature might be, my Lord?"

"Actually…yes. A species of four-tusked giant elephants called Primordiphants are said to have once walked the far west, in Kinmeria." He closes his eyes to think, recalling what he's learned of history. "Their size lent well to military use; hordes of them would shake the very earth whenever war broke out. Having one on the loose in Yggdrasil is quite dangerous for those venturing within. What I'd like for you all to do is investigate the creature's stomping ground to see if there isn't a way to avoid it."

Cyrus nods to this; "We'll see that it is done. By your leave, sire, we'll get to work immediately." Ramus nods to him before wishing the Seekers safe travel. They return to Jenetta's Inn to inform the others of their task before setting back out. They reach the Primordiphant's domain once again to find the beast is currently taking a break as it stands within a large gap formed by two separated cliff faces. "It might not make a move unless it sees us; let's map out the west side before returning here."

The far west side of this canyon sports two doors – one to the north, the other to the south. The southern door leads to a secluded fishing spot, which the Seekers mark but do not take advantage of. The northern door leads to another small enclosure, one where a group of humped cattle feasts upon what little grass is growing on this Stratum. There are calves among this herd that are presently feeding. Looking to the rest of her group, Lissa offers to procure some milk for use in future cooking endeavors. The others motion for her to go ahead. The cattle take notice of her, but are not startled by her presence. They continue to munch on grass while she secures fresh milk in three containers. After tightly sealing these containers, she returns to her comrades, who offer praise for her efforts. The herd departs before the party can properly thank the cattle in turn, leaving them with the option of offering silent thanks as they wish the herd safe travels.

Returning to the Primordiphant's domain, the northern end of the canyon is the next to be mapped. Around 11AM, the party stops to take a break from walking. Cyrus can be seen in the background, still walking about as he fills in the map. No one bothers with convincing him to take a break, waving the notion off as a waste of effort. Clarisse and Balto dine on roasted meat, with the former taking a moment to sprinkle some seasoning on her serving after a few bites. Amy lets out a yawn, looking over the spacious canyon and noting how lifeless it feels compared to the floor's starting region.

Rolling her shoulder, Lissa says, "This reminds me of Etria's Second Stratum; we had to find a way through the Wyvern's nest on the eighth floor back then, much like we're doing now." She looks to the Primordiphant in the distance. "The Wyvern was content with blasting us with its lightning breath from a distance, but I imagine this creature will be far more direct." She looks to Valerie, who is busy tending to her new scythe. "You really take care of your gear, don't you?"

She checks the finish on the blade, soon resuming her efforts to polish it. "The Chief really drove the point home; my weapon and I are a team, and even though I can't speak to mine the way he can, I have to remember that it's always listening." She checks the polish again, this time satisfied with the result. She rests the weapon upon her back, looking to Lissa and the others. "I put as much trust into my weapon as I do with my own skill; I sometimes forget that, but never for long."

Before taking another bite of her meal, Clarisse looks up and asks, "Wait, he can talk to weapons, too?" Lissa sighs at this, suggesting she has explained this already. "OK, now you know I wouldn't buy that, Lissa…but this time I've actually forgotten."

"You're impossible. Cyrus' left eye lets him do a lot of things. He can communicate with anything that houses a soul, which includes a lot more than just animals like Balto."

"So, what, is this guy like the savior of humanity in Erdboden or something?" Amy and Valerie adopt distressed expressions upon hearing this question. Before long, even Lissa looks uncomfortable at the notion. "Did I…saying something strange?"

Of the three, Amy is the one to reply, albeit starting with a sigh. "My brother…goes by a lot of names back home; the most popular of these names classifies him as 'The Runic Calamity', which is to say he's known the world over as a child of fate who was prophesized to bring about our realm's ruin."

Valerie picks up the thread. "The emperor of another country ordered a hit on him when he was only eight. In an effort to avert the prophecy, they set fire to his home in hopes of being rid of him and of the risk of his Runic Eye passing on to his siblings or another child down the line. The Chief…wasn't actually home when it happened."

"Oh…oh shit…"

"My brother did help save the world two years ago, but it wasn't for the world itself, just a few people he felt were worth saving over watching the world get its comeuppance for 19 years of torture."

"I've talked with the Chief about it; he still can't say for certain if his choice was worth it."

Looking to Clarisse, Lissa says, "On some nights, he would lie awake next to me and wonder aloud if he should abandon the effort and just embrace the role everyone was pushing him towards."

"I mean, you told him that was wrong, right?" Lissa falls silent, breaking eye contact. "Lissa?"

"I had no real stake in Erdboden's future, Clarisse. As far as I was concerned, it was just some world that saw fit to make both Cyrus and Amy suffer. I looked him in the eyes and told him that both he and Amy could always leave Erdboden behind and just stay here with us…with me." She looks away again, her eyes falling on Cyrus in the distance. He currently sits atop a rock, observing the Primordiphant. Looking back to Clarisse, she sighs. "He almost took me up on that offer, but there were too many people he couldn't bring over – too many to risk leaving behind." A frown fixates upon her expression, her eyes betraying a sense of anger. "I can't say I agree with his choice; that world took his family, his arm, and then a friend, all the while labeling him as the monster at fault every step of the way."

"I had no idea." She looks to see Cyrus approaching the group, furled map in hand. "He really doesn't show it."

"Bad news, team; we're gonna have to bait that creature and lead it around the room." He looks to the nearby boulder than can be collapsed and shakes his head. "I'm not particularly confident in the ability of those pillars. They might slow it down upon striking the creature, but beyond that? It could probably crush them beneath its feet." He looks around to see the distraught faces of his comrades. ' _I must have missed something._ ' Rather than play it off, he elects to properly address the issue. "I can tell you're all bothered by something; wanna head back early and take care of it before doing this?"

Lissa rises to her feet to pull him into a kiss. As she pulls away, she takes hold of his hand and leads him towards the Primordiphant. "We've got work to do; it's nothing terribly serious." After gaining some distance on her allies, who were much slower to get up, she looks back to him, a soft smile on her face. "You'll always have a place in this world at my side, Cyrus." He nods, smiling in turn as he states that he hasn't forgotten. She plants a kiss upon his cheek, giggling to herself as her expression brightens. "That's good. Always keep that in mind."

' _Yeah, I definitely missed something._ ' The party draws the attention of the Primordiphant, quickly realizing that the creature can close the distance between them far faster than expected. After extricating themselves from its path, they realize that the creature is slow to turn. "That actually should have been really obvious." The party misjudges their window of opportunity, and knocks a pillar down without factoring in the consequences. The Primordiphant catches up to them and makes an effort to unleash an attack. "Yep, no choice but to Tri-Shield. Amy, Valerie!"

The effort proves to have been unnecessary, for the Primordiphant's attack misses the entire party completely as they make their escape. With the pillar toppled, the colossal elephant has no choice but to waste time going around the structure. By the time it catches up to the Seekers, it is struck with the collapse of the second pillar, which boasts enough force to knock it against the rocky wall at the southern end of the canyon. The creature is dazed by this, and though it isn't for long, it is certainly long enough for the Seekers to make a break for the area it once guarded.

As they slip into safety, the Primordiphant's lamenting cry can be heard in the distance behind them. After unlocking the shortcut that leads back to the floor's starting area, they warp out of Yggdrasil to turn in their report to Ramus. The prince looks relieved to see them unharmed. "Welcome back, Seekers." The party then makes its report, detailing a modified version of their evasion strategy so as to completely remove the prospect of engaging the Primordiphant in combat. "To think that you met the beast in combat at all."

Cyrus replies, "Its initial attack was terribly inaccurate." He closes his eyes and gives a single nod, as if in recognition of an unstated notion. "Indeed, that was definitely a creature we won't be facing in combat proper until after the 5th Stratum is cleared."

"The 5th Stratum? Have you already planned that far ahead? We in Iorys have yet to explore beyond the third." Looking to Lissa, he follows, "I believe Lissa once said that her homeland was in a similar situation before the Seekers pushed progress forward."

"This is true, Prince Ramus. In Lagaard, explorers were unable to push beyond the Third Stratum. The cause was…related to one particular group of explorers who were protecting the Stratum Boss for personal reasons."

"No such incidents have been reported here in Iorys."

Cyrus sighs, shaking his head as he absently says, "I just hope the reason here isn't the same as it was in Etria." When the prince looks to him expectantly, he nods, electing to elaborate. "The explorers of Etria's Yggdrasil had made more initial progress than any other country. To the public, the 4th Stratum was known territory, albeit incredibly dangerous to explore." His expression shifts to show perturbation, but he quickly shakes this off. "In truth, the 5th Stratum had been reached several times before the Seekers had even formed."

"And the knowledge wasn't made public?" Cyrus shakes his head. "May I ask why?"

"The 5th Stratum revealed a truth of this world that humans might not have been ready to handle. What's more, explorers who reached the 5th Stratum needed to be tested to see if they could handle not just the truth, but the 6th Stratum that waited deeper within."

Picking up his thread, Lissa follows, "Etria's 6th Stratum is easily the most brutal I have ever traversed. Those who lost their lives during the trial of the 5th…would have quickly lost their lives in turn to the 6th." She shakes her head. "I'll never condone that trial's construction, but I understand why it was in place."

"I can only hope that your Guild will continue to lend its strength to the city, and that we don't push you too far."

Lissa chuckles at this. "I don't think you'll need to worry about that, Prince Ramus. By your leave, I'm afraid we must get going."

"Yes, of course; safe travels to all of you."

The party returns to the eighth floor once again. After summoning Balto using her whistle, Clarisse's complexion turns pale; she takes a seat on a rock to catch her breath. As her Hound takes a seat beside her, Cyrus steps up and offers a freshly warmed pancake. Clarisse can only give an awkward smile before accepting the dish. Before biting down, she looks up again to see Cyrus offering a bottle of raspberry syrup. ' _Ooh, my favorite!_ ' She happily accepts this bottle, uses it to top her food, and then devours it. In but a few moments after consuming her final bite, she feels invigorated. Her complexion returns to its proper luster, and her fatigue is nonexistent. "What the Hell…"

"Are you feeling better, Clarisse? I made an effort to produce your favorite for the maximum effect."

"I feel like I could take on an army. Wait, how did you know chocolate pancakes were my favorite? Or the raspberry syrup?" She looks to Lissa and asks, "Did you tell him?"

"Nope, I always thought your favorite syrup was maple."

Clarisse then looks to Cyrus, who has already taken his place at the helm of the party's formation. She sighs, smiling as she motions to take her own place in the formation. Looking to Lissa, she chuckles. "Your man's alright, Lissa; he's alright." The next hour is spent traversing a narrow winding path that leads north. Along the way are two shortcuts, both exit-ends. Upon arriving at a dead end at the bottom edge of C5, Clarisse spots Evelyn's team in the distance. Once she's within earshot, she holds up an arm in greeting and says, "Yo, Nomads!"

The trio approaches from the path ahead and greets the Seekers. Evelyn is the first to address them. "Did you guys sneak past that giant elephant too?" She dons a sheepish grin as she follows, "Something weakened it for us beforehand, so outmaneuvering it was pretty simple."

Hearing this, Amy giggles and says, "You ladies must have walked into the canyon right after we finished dealing with that creature."

Melissa's eyes widen at this; she points to the group, astonished. "Wait, you guys weakened it?"

As if to clarify her notion preemptively, Cyrus waves his hand as he says, "We did engage it in combat, but that was by mistake. Its injuries came from the pillar we dropped onto it." He looks around, seeing nothing of interest save for a giant boulder nearby. "Was there something here?"

Stacy glances at Evelyn before replying, "A certain someone dropped something." Pointing to the boulder with her scythe, she follows, "We were trying to move that boulder, but it's heavy, even for Melissa."

Amy looks to the boulder, as if sizing it up. She walks over the boulder, crouches down, and then promptly lifts it slightly from the ground with just one hand, eliciting shocked expressions from the Nomad trio. She then uses her free hand to grab some sort of charm. Looking back, as well as holding the charm up for the others to see, she asks, "Is this what you dropped?" Evelyn can only nod in reply, prompting Amy to set the boulder back down and hand the charm over to Evelyn.

"Thank you ever so much; you are much stronger than your appearance would suggest."

Amy giggles. "I get that a lot."

Evelyn reaches into the bag containing her Guild's provisions, soon pulling a loaf of white bread. She offers it to Amy, smiling as she says, "This isn't much, but please take it." Amy does so, giving gratitude in kind. She then hands the loaf over to Cyrus, absently citing how her dear brother adores white bread.

"Hell yeah, I love white bread! Thanks, Lyn!" He then clears his throat, his face turning red as he corrects himself. "Er, sorry about that; thanks, Evelyn; I appreciate it."

"You're free to call me 'Lyn' if you wish."

Melissa snickers at this, nudging Evelyn in the arm as she says, "Yeah, fewer things could make Lyn happier. I bet the only way to top this is for you to ask her o-" She then is then placed into a headlock by Evelyn. "Ack, I give! I'm sorry!"

Ignoring her comrades, Stacy looks to the party and says, "We were going to head back for a short break since this was a dead end and all. What are you gonna do?"

Valerie shrugs. "I mean, we just got back so we're kind of in this for the long haul." Receiving the map from Cyrus, she opens it to direct Stacy's attention to the treasure chest located in the bottom center of C3. "I wanna see what's in here, but I bet there's an FOE puzzle tied to it."

Clarisse scoffs. "After what was pulled on the last floor, I wouldn't be surprised if our access was barred off by a sealed door."

Valerie groans at this, a look of disgust fixing upon her countenance. "By the gods, Clarisse, don't joke like that. Ugh. Ghastly."

During her efforts to silence Melissa, Evelyn looks to Cyrus and realizes a fact that she hadn't noticed before. "Cyrus? Did you lose your fedora? During your time in Etria, it was always mentioned by anyone describing you."

He dons a melancholic smile at the thought, falling silent as he thinks of how to explain himself. "I…stopped wearing it." Evelyn releases her grip on Melissa upon hearing this, granting Cyrus her full attention. "It's not something that ever became relevant here in your world, but in Erdboden, this left eye of mine has generated no shortage of strife for me." He chuckles, albeit in depreciation. "Ironic that this eye is the same reason I lived past age six to begin with."

Crossing her arms, Amy says, "That eye instills fear, you see. People naturally fear what they don't understand. Many used to humiliate him for struggling with his illness, though I assume most of them didn't know it was terminal. These same people took to treating him like some freak of nature when he got that eye; not because he was suddenly healthy, but because it granted him some degree of control over the powerful magic coursing through him." She looks to him, sadness in her eyes. "He…" She trails off, letting out a huff as her eyes avert contact with everyone present.

"I wore my fedora because I was ashamed of who I was. I bought into everyone else's fear and looked at it as 'what I had become', rather than…" he shrugs, "I don't know; any other outlook would have been better, I suppose." He looks to the tops of the rocky walls above; an eagle passes overhead, likely in search of prey. Bringing his attention back to the ground, he looks to Evelyn and says, "I grew into the habit of positioning the hat to hide my Runic Eye, but here, in your world, there's no need for that."

Evelyn is left speechless. Melissa crosses her arms, looking rather disappointed. "Man, you got bullied for being terminally ill? That's pretty fucked, Cyrus. You're not really here to see the aftermath of the things your Guild has done, but across the many regions that aren't Arcania, the Seekers are heroes." She sighs in exasperation, momentarily placing a hand to her forehead. "I get that people would be jealous of your fame, but to ignore all of your good points and only see you as a monster? No offense, but your world sounds like a terrible place to live in."

Valerie raises a finger to this, only to lower it almost immediately. "I can't even say anything."

Cyrus shakes his head, resting his hand in his pocket. "I suppose none of that really matters now. Part of what I like about this world is how it always feels like a fresh start. What happens in Erdboden…doesn't really matter here." He smiles. "Please, there is no need to feel so distraught. Put it behind you, as I have." Though his smile persists, a contradiction forms in his head. ' _At least, that's what I keep telling myself._ '

Stacy taps her leader on the shoulder, presenting an Ariadne Thread upon receiving her attention. Looking to Cyrus, Evelyn says, "I'll try to heed that request, Cyrus. You know…" She hesitates, fidgeting in place. "If you ever need to chat, I'm down for that." Cyrus chuckles to this. "What's so funny?"

"Even though you're younger than I am, you're still no different from your counterpart."

"Eh? My counterpart is older than you?"

"I- Oh, I never clarified. The Lyn of Erdboden just celebrated her 27th birthday." He rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. "A real helpful sort; I look up to her, and even tried to imitate her swordplay when I was learning how to wield a katana."

' _You've got be kidding; he looks up to me?!_ ' She clears her throat, though there isn't much reason to. "That's very interesting. You should tell me more over drinks at the Twilight Tavern…maybe dinner."

Melissa takes the Ariadne Thread and unravels it. As her party is taken in by the thread, she grins and wraps an arm around Evelyn's farthest shoulder. "We gotta get going; our leader is unbelievably thirsty after our trip here." The party is given no chance to respond to this; they are left with just one last glimpse of Evelyn's flustered and irate expression as she turns to face Melissa.

Amy giggles at this. "I sure hope Melissa will be alright." Returning to their trek, the Seekers make their way back to the floor's bottom edge to proceed through the door they previously ignored. Stepping inside, they are greeted by another canyon, this one featuring gaps in the footing. To their left is a large blue monkey with yellow fur, red eyes, and serrated teeth. "That's probably the tengu". Upon seeing the creature's long nose, she nods to herself. "Yeah, that's the creature everyone warned us about."

The party has no other choice but to make way for the door on the eastern edge of this canyon, for the tengu is furious to see explorers trespassing upon its territory. The creature returns to its starting position on the map while the Seekers are in the small area beyond the door, but the moment they step back inside from a different angle, the tengu seems to be innately aware of their presence. Cyrus directs everyone's attention to the map to show that the tengu is making its way towards the pillar near its location.

They step back into the small area separated from this canyon, which causes the tengu to fall back without making use of the pillar. "I don't like where this is going." True to form, the tengu pushes the pillar down when it deems the party close enough. The door leading further in is blocked off as a result of this. Cyrus can only smile dumbly at the fact, looking to the irate tengu as it approaches. His voice becomes distorted as he coldly asks, "Do you think this is a motherfucking game?" Before he can act on anything swimming through his mind, Amy pulls the Ariadne Thread from his pocket and warps the party back to Iorys.

"Nii-chan, let's take a break at the inn, OK?" To her surprise, Cyrus actually tries to escape from the range of the thread, prompting Amy to grab hold to pull him back. "Nii-chan, no! Bad brother!"

"Unhand me! He's got it coming." Knowing that Amy's grip is unbreakable, he resigns to simply point at the creature, his glare emanating such intensity that the tengu decides to back away cautiously. The distortion in his voice returns as he shouts, "I will ruin you!" He is then fully warped out of Yggdrasil alongside his comrades. He exhales, the anger in his gaze barely decreasing in its intensity. "He will rue the day…"

When the party steps into the inn, Jenetta turns to greet them, only for the hair on the back of her neck to suddenly stand up on end. "You guys alright?"

"I will destroy that monkey, Jenetta; and his family."

"Whoa. Too scary."

Fae runs down the stairs to greet the others, running right over to Cyrus without paying any heed to his current mood. She lunges at him, landing her face in his chest as he catches her. "Uncle, I'm bored! Play with me!"

Much to the surprise of everyone else present, Cyrus' expression has shifted to show gentle joy. He holds the child close and gives but a single nod. "Certainly, little one; what shall we play?"

Her eyes don a twinkle as she replies, "Teach me how to flash step!" Cyrus stares at her blankly, internally wondering how she even knows what flash stepping is. "Aunt Gwen won't teach me because she thinks I don't need it. But, but! I know it's super pwa- pw-" She turns her head to throw out a few practice sputters before finishing her statement; "practical!"

"Ah, I love that word. Very well, let us begin your training. Now, be honest with me; what sort of mischief are you planning to get into?"

She shakes her head, her smile sincere as she looks him in the eye and replies, "No mischief; I just wanna help out."

"Aw, bless your little heart." He then hugs her tightly, causing the child to laugh.

Lissa remains unconvinced, and crosses her arms as she looks to Cyrus. "Dear, you can't be serious; she's obviously baiting you."

Fae giggles at the notion before shaking her head. "Silly Lissa, bait is for fish; Uncle is a Behemoth or whatever." She then slips from Cyrus' grip to motion towards the stairs, "Aunt Gwen! He said 'yes'!"

When Gwenivere touches down on the floor, she looks to Cyrus and asks, "Darling, why?" She then senses the lingering aura of hatred flowing from his form. "Cyrus? Are you alright? What happened?"

"Never you mind that, my liege; come, our angel's training will progress more smoothly if you're present." The next hour is spent teaching Fae the basics of foot placement, positioning, and breathing management. At some point, Fiona and Hayato joined the lesson, allowing the entirety of the Chain Squad to practice together for the first time in awhile. After taking a sip from a canteen, Cyrus lets out a sigh and smiles. "You have a real talent for this, Fae; you learn quickly. Are you ready for a practical application?"

"Uh huh! Amy taught me something cool!"

"Really? Pray tell."

"It's a poem; I don't really understand the second half, but it sounds cool." When the others look at her expectantly, she smiles and begins the recital. "Roses are red, petunias are too." She then disappears from sight, causing everyone's eyes to go wide. When she reappears, she is floating in the air directly in front of Cyrus; her hand rests upon the center of his chest, though he has yet to register this. It is now that Fae recites the second half of her poem. "Omae wa, mou shindeiru."

Cyrus looks down to finally notice the child in front of him. "Nani?!" He is then blown away by the force of Fae's delayed strike, sending him flying into a bush in the distance. The child lands on the ground before electing to hop in place as she cheers. Cyrus suddenly finds himself being lifted from the shrubbery by Guildmaster Egar, who chuckles before looking towards the rest of the party. "They grow up so fast, Guildmaster."

"Indeed. The youth grows more impressive by the generation."

"What brings you here?"

"Ah, yes, I stopped by to thank Jenetta for the cake she baked for my family the other day; both my wife and daughter were overjoyed. I am told that your Guild had a hand in dealing with the threat of the Primordiphant; you have my thanks."

"We'll eventually be able to do more, but I hope our efforts will suffice for now."

"While I commend your enthusiasm in taking the initiative, do keep in mind that your Guild is but one of many. If you handle all of the Labyrinth's greatest threats, the others may become overly reliant." He crosses his arms, a sigh escaping him. "Inspiration and coddling walk as one when it comes to adventuring; a delicate balance must be maintained." Looking to Cyrus, he follows, "In that sense, I suppose it is fortunate that the Seekers are only remembered in hindsight here in Iorys."

"Indeed. Public opinion is easier to maintain when our reputation has to be built up from scratch."

"It is good that you understand this; I can walk with confidence knowing your group takes its role seriously. It is…not often that we are granted the foresight to understand the weight of what importance we garner."

"You must speak from experience."

Egar chuckles. "Another story for another time, I'm afraid." A group of guards can be seen approaching from afar, prompting Egar to turn and face them. "It would appear that I am needed. Until next time."

Cyrus nods to the Guildmaster and sees him off as he departs. The rest of his Chain Squad approaches, with Gwenivere checking for injuries. "I am quite alright, Milady." Looking to Fae, he gives a thumbs-up and smiles. "That was a clean hit, Fae; I'm proud of you." He then walks over and picks her up, resting her on his bicep. "As a reward, I'll buy you a gift; choose whatever you like."

"Really?!" He nods to her, his smile persisting. "I want a new bow; Mr. Syrik said the new bow he made is a good luck charm, so my bombs will work better."

"Are you sure? No teddy bear, ice cream, or the like?" She shakes her head, affirming the notion that she wants the bow instead. "Very well. I shall endeavor to purchase and forge it soon." She cheers, an uncontainable smile plastered on her face. He looks to the others and says, "I appreciate the help, team; the lesson wouldn't have been nearly as effective without your help."

Fiona chuckles at this, a smug grin forming on her face as she crosses her arms. "You need only pay it forward in the future, friend."

"Darling, are you planning to head back into the Labyrinth tonight?"

"Yes, most likely; did you wish to join us?"

"Oh, no, not especially." She crosses her arms, looking to him with a suddenly worried expression. "I'm just a bit concerned about you. Are you taking care to not overwork yourself? You're present for every excursion, for better or worse." She nods to herself, letting out a sigh as she follows, "You get arguably less sleep here than you do in Erdboden, which is by no means praiseworthy."

"I know my limits in this world, Lady Gwenivere. Unlike in Erdboden, ignoring them here is not really an option." He glances at what remains of his arm, albeit briefly, before looking back to her. "In Etria, I was fortunate enough to have significant workarounds, but losing my left arm humbled me; my time in Armoroad…taught me just how little progress I can make on my own." He sighs, though a soft smile rests upon his face. "I can't promise perfect self-control, but I promise to try. I trust you'll rein me back in should I step out of line."

"Of course, as ever. I shall leave it at that." She motions her head to the side, showing that the second squad is waiting for Cyrus on the sidelines. "I have said my piece; you are free to leave." He nods to her, passing Fae over to her grip as he walks by. "Be safe out there, Cyrus." His only reply is a knowing smile; as he departs with the second squad, she watches his back with a sad look in her eye.

Seeing this, Fae adopts a look of concern to match. "Aunt Gwen? What's the matter?"

Gwenivere shakes her head and tries to put on a smile instead. "It's nothing, sweetie; I'm just worrying about my husband as I always do."

Fiona steps over and rests a hand on Gwenivere's shoulder, shooting a smile her way when her attention is directed. She takes to watching Cyrus and the others head towards Yggdrasil, her smile softening into something more nostalgic. For but a brief instant, she can see one of the Armoroad teams in place of the current party. "You can trust him on this, Milady."


	17. Guards vs Guilds

**Chapter 17: Guards vs. Guilds**

Returning to the eighth floor, the Seekers' first order of business is to progress beyond the door that was previously blocked off. Just as the case was on the seventh floor, the pillar that was pushed over by the tengu has somehow been put back into place. The creature topples the pillar again, but the Seekers have enough space to move around the fallen structure and proceed through the door. It occurs to the team that, in hindsight, they could have gone around the pillar from the start, but everyone shakes their heads to this notion when Cyrus' narrowly averted rampage comes to mind. They proceed forward, not looking back.

Within the next room is another small enclosure, a resting area of sorts for weary travelers braving the floor. The entry point of a shortcut is here, which the Seekers unlock without delay. The notion that they could have unlocked this instead of wasting an Ariadne Thread brings a frown to Cyrus' face. He sighs in frustration; ' _You only have yourself to blame for this one, Cyrus._ ' Stepping beyond the door, his party is greeted by another canyon, one that features gaps and collapsible pillars interspersed throughout the area. A tengu immediately makes way for the pillar closest to it, and awaits the moment the Seekers draw near. "I'm going to enjoy hurting them."

His dryly delivered remark doesn't even catch the attention of his comrades, for they are too busy shooting the same blank, disappointed stare at the tengu. Heading east, Cyrus stops to take a seat on a nearby rock as he makes alterations to the map. Clarisse steps over to watch him work, finding herself intrigued by his choice to suddenly use burgundy paint. "What's that color being used to mark?"

"The falling range of the pillars. This will mitigate our need for memorization, and will also preemptively denote which directions we may approach from."

"Ah, I see…" From here, the tengu is tricked into wasting its time knocking down a pillar that won't strike the party, and then subsequently tricked into taking the long way around to chase them. The party makes it to the next door, where they take a short break before heading back into the previous room to run a circuit and grab the treasure chest they left behind. As the tengu tries in vain to keep up with the party, Clarisse looks back and raises her middle finger at it, a conniving grin on her face.

Upon stepping into the next room, the party can see that another tengu is making its way towards a pillar. Based on a quick glance at the map, Cyrus' eyes don a sinister gleam as he says, "We can get there first." He then furls the map before breaking into a sprint, shouting, "Greed!" as he does so. His party members fall behind as a result of this action, but it is of no matter, for Cyrus has enough strength to topple the pillar by himself. The tengu isn't crushed to death by this, but it is left injured enough to refrain from making another approach. Cyrus roars to the sky in triumph, sending a shiver down Clarisse's spine.

"Whoa, is that what Behemoths sound like? I've never heard a roar like that before." Upon seeing Amy and Valerie confirm this, she lets out a whistle. "Well damn; remind me to never piss him off."

Upon realizing that the tengu isn't going to get back up, the party doubles back to retrieve the treasure chest in its domain; the chest contains 1000 ental, bringing a smile to everyone's faces. The tengu cowers in fear, ready for the Seekers to attack it while it suffers from its injuries, but the worst it gets is an angry glare from Cyrus before he and the rest of his comrades depart through the north-western door. In here, the party reaches a crossroads. A door lies directly ahead, but a path leads further in to the south.

Looking to the map, Lissa points to the sealed shortcut in C5. She posits, "This southern path might just lead us back to this shortcut, which means the door ahead will likely lead to another FOE puzzle we must solve in order to reach that treasure chest located in C3."

Valerie's face lights up in realization upon hearing her words. "Oh yeah, right…I completely forgot about that one." She then looks at the map before a groan escapes her. "This is going to suck." She looks to Cyrus, pointing at the space beyond the next door. "Chief," she whines, "Tengu are so annoying…"

"Agreed." Despite this agreement, the party proceeds through the next door as the clock strikes 1AM. Within is the second-largest canyon yet, except this time it is filled with multiple tengu instead of the Primordiphant. "You know, life is pretty terrible sometimes."

Valerie nods. "Agreed." The party makes the incorrect choice and attempts to perform a cursory check of the canyon. They are only able to cover a small portion of the eastern edge before it becomes apparent that the three tengu in this room – two of which were outside of the map's covered range – were converging on their location. One such tengu is injured by the party's act of toppling a pillar. "Screw it, the door's on the southern end! Run for it!" She pulls Cyrus into the room containing the treasure chest before slamming it in the face of the tengu that quickly drew near.

Amy takes a seat on a rock, breathing heavily. "And we have to go back out there, too. By the gods…" She looks to the right to find that, "There's a second treasure chest in here."

The first chest contains a small jar filled with a pasty substance. Upon closer examination, Lissa nods and says, "This is a jar of Unihorn; it'll remove our debuffs, but I don't know if we'll ever use it." She then opens the second treasure chest, pulling out a bow that she hands to Clarisse. The weapon sports a curious design, being based on a creature from an ancient mythology. "Isn't this the Gorgon Arrow?"

Looking it over, Clarisse eventually nods. "Yeah, you're right. I could probably petrify our enemies if I fire arrows with this." She stashes it with the Guild's belongings, turning to the door as she says, "We should wait things out." It takes 30 minutes for the two unharmed tengu to return to their starting positions. Unfortunately, one of them is too close for comfort, meaning the Seekers will have to move swiftly to avoid engaging it in combat. "Do or die, I guess; ready?"

With a nod from her comrades, Clarisse takes the opportunity to push the doors open. She and her comrades sprint for the nearby pillar and topple it with haste. They slip through a door located on the north-western end of this canyon, though there is nothing to be found within. Regardless, it makes for a safe haven that will allow the party to dash for their original entrance on the eastern side without any trouble. Before leaving, Cyrus takes the opportunity to fill in the blank space on the map.

Curiously, a large amount of empty space comprises A1, B1, and B2. Studying the dimensions of the map he's drawn, Cyrus scratches at his cheek as he wonders aloud, "Did I make a mistake somewhere?" His team gathers around him, with Lissa and Amy sitting on either side while Valerie and Clarisse stand above him from behind. He points to three various locations, all of which are relatively nearby. "Logically speaking, there are only five places from which we could access this area; there's this rest area, along with the treasure trove we were just in; neither of these locations sports a shortcut." He sighs. "The area where we encountered the cattle herd had nothing either, and the Primordiphant's domain is secure."

Resting a hand on her hip, Clarisse says, "Maybe we get to that area by climbing down from the ninth floor." Looking to Lissa, she asks, "Lagaard's 6th Stratum was like that, right?" Lissa nods in reply. "That'll be a pain, but we can check the room with the tengu one more time if you want, Co."

He sighs, furling up the map as he says, "Nah, screw that noise; it's 3AM. Let's find the stairs, unlock the last shortcut, and get some sleep." Arriving back to the crossroads of B5 and B6, the party has to choose between the fork on their left and the one on their right. Peering down the left path, Cyrus can see a trio of Cliff Goats milling about as a pair of Stun Cicadas hovers nearby. He shakes his head at the sight. "Now that's just disgusting." The party chooses the right path instead, which quickly ends at a Mine Point. They elect to leave this be in favor of continuing forward down the remaining path.

This eastern path leads to the final shortcut, as well as the staircase. Before ascending, the party elects to proceed to the dead end they've deduced awaits at the end of the path. As they pass a small cave near this dead end, a white light catches Clarisse's eye, prompting the party to halt. As she approaches, a Volt Squirrel emerges from within and hisses at her, baring its teeth. She can see the remains of Forest Berries lying about the area, but is left to click her tongue in frustration. ' _We don't have any. Damn._ ' Looking to the irate squirrel she says, "There's something I wanna check out in there; mind moving?" The squirrel hisses again before firing a bolt of lightning that hits everyone in the party, including Balto. "Ouch, damn it!"

As Clarisse motions to draw her bow, she feels a hand grab hold of her. Looking back, the perpetrator is Cyrus, who shakes his head at her. "Don't do it." After a moment of staring at him, more akin to glaring, she eventually sighs and nods, prompting Cyrus release his grip on her arm. He then gently grabs her hand instead, as he leads her away from the area. She pouts at this, but says nothing. With the stairs having been located, the party warps out to return to Jenetta's Inn. Looking to his team, Cyrus says, "You four are taking a break today; I pushed you unfairly, and I apologize for that."

Clarisse looks at him and says, "It's not as if any of us complained." She then lets out a yawn, releasing her grip on Cyrus' hand to stifle it. "I am tired though." She crouches down to pet Balto, who likewise shares in her state of exhaustion. "Yeah, you did real well today, old friend." Looking up to the leader, she asks, "There's no way you're going back into Yggdrasil on two hours of sleep, right?"

"I'll be fine if I bring the Chain Squad with me."

"You're joking, right? You're the tank for those guys; you need even more focus than you do with us." Looking to the rest of her comrades, she's surprised to find that none of them are calling him out on this. "Stinger, can't you put him under doctor's orders or something?"

"I'd say he's fine for now. I'll make the final call after his two-hour break."

When 7AM strikes, the Chain Squad has already finished breakfast. Its members had risen early for training, and were greeted by a dish prepared through the joint effort of both Jenetta and Cyrus. With this done, they make way for the Twilight Tavern. "Ah, good morning, guys. Here for breakfast?"

Patting his stomach, Hayato dons a content smile as he says, "I'm afraid we must decline; Cyrus and Jenetta cooked a feast for us this morning."

"Ah, then you're here for work." She hands Cyrus the clipboard as she usually does, and begins her explanation. "Syrik needs your help gathering materials again. You can go to him for the details. Next up is a request I've gotten from the Council. Some raging moles have been harassing explorers on the seventh floor; they're calling for an extermination of 12."

Gwenivere raises an eyebrow to this. "Are these moles particularly dangerous?"

"You haven't seen them yet, Lady Gwenivere? They're pretty buff." Gwenivere reels back at this, her expression now sporting a mixture between shock and disgust. "Yeah, that reaction's about right. We have one more quest that I think you'll want to handle; it comes from the Guard Corps."

Cyrus asks, "Do they need assistance with slaying an FOE?"

She chuckles. "Not quite. The captain of the guard put in that request for the Seekers specifically. Presumably, he wants to test the skills of your fabled Guild. He'll be at the descending staircase; think you can make it today?"

He nods. "Those moles should be easy to dispatch. We'll head out now, so see you when we return."

"Yep, be safe out there."

Upon seeing the party arrive at the marketplace, Syrik dons a smile and holds up a hand to greet them. "Hiya, guys! You here about the request?" He fist pumps when Fae nods to him. "So this time I wanna make a weapon called a Jono. Sounds powerful, right? I need a Bound Hoof for it." The party hands him the item he needs. "Uh, wow, you guys really don't mess around with Conditional Drops, huh?" He takes a moment to check the hoof's quality. "Hm, you guys got this one pretty cleanly, too." He nods, a smile forming on his lips. "Thanks again, you can get your reward from Mirina."

After purchasing new gear, notably Fae's new bow, the party makes way for Yggdrasil. Stepping up to the seventh floor, the landscape is barely recognizable; large mole holes litter the traversable path. Cyrus sighs at this. "We'll have to tread carefully." Unfurling the map, he directs the party's attention to the western half of the floor. "There's a treasure chest that the second squad never went back for; we'll start there. I'll inform you all of this floor's threats along the way."

To their surprise, no moles arrive to attack until after the treasure chest's contents are procured. Within the chest is an Amrita, which brings a smile to the faces of both Cyrus and Fiona. A pair of moles emerges from the ground, pointing at the party before adopting stances that make their aggressive intent clear. Drawing her rapier, Fiona eases into her own combat stance. "Prepare for combat!"

Setting his sights on the left mole, Cyrus says, "Fae, throw a dark bomb; they're susceptible to Blind." Looking to Fiona and Gwenivere, he follows, "Their weakness is Ice." The moles quickly fall to the Seekers' assault, leaving the combatants surprised at how little energy they expended. "Not bad." He unfurls the map and directs the party to the small room beyond the door in D4. "We never did get to explore this room…"

Within is an area filled with large, beautiful flowers. Some of these flowers are quite tall, with a species of white reaching up to the heads of both Cyrus and Gwenivere. At the center of this sea of white flowers is a set of human remains, which causes everyone to recoil. The body has decayed to the point of only being skeletal; the petals and stalks of the flowers closest to the corpse appear to have been cut down. Gwenivere crouches down to get a better look at the flowers. The stems are thick, and the white petals are ordinary.

"This is peculiar." She rises to her feet, her attention drawn back to the corpse. "I find it strange that this warrior died with weapon in hand. It's…as if this person died whilst fighting off the flowers themselves." Turning to Cyrus and Fiona, she asks, "Are there any monsters that resemble plants in this world?"

Cyrus nods and replies, "Two species are of note. One is the Rafflesia; the other is a Wrath Bloom." Looking to the flowers, he shakes his head. "Neither had white petals, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a third species unique to Iorys." Turning towards the door leading out of this room, he follows, "We're taking our leave; I'd rather not run the risk."

Many hours are spent thinning the numbers of the moles residing on this floor. Around 1PM, just when the party feels as if the numbers have truly started to return to normal, an incredibly large mole bursts from the ground to confront them. He brandishes his claws and takes to glaring at the Seekers. "So you're the bastards messing with my men; you picked the wrong group, day-walkers."

Cyrus looks to the mole, not at all amused by what he has to say. "You should have thought twice before you started messing with the environment; then you had the gall to bring travelers into the mix."

"Yeah, pin the blame on everyone but yourselves; that's what your kind does best."

"Last chance, Mole Lord; walk away and keep your group under control, and we won't have to kill you."

"I'm not the one who's dying today." He then dives into a hole in the ground, but not before Cyrus can stab out one of his eyes. Fae tosses a new bomb that Cyrus has yet to see. It seems to weaken the Mole Lord despite not applying any ailments. Fiona falls back to the rear line to receive the effects of Gwenivere's Amplifier, as well as to drink a Medica II to heal off the injuries sustained during her prior encounter.

"Fae, please use Guard Order. We're taking a defensive stance since we don't have the Aegis Prayer active." His comrades do as they're ordered, rendering the Mole Lord's attack irrelevant. Fae throws a dark bomb at the mole despite him already suffering the effects of Blind. Despite this, the smoke from her bomb seems to amplify the effects of the previous bomb she threw, making the party's elemental attacks even stronger than before. The Mole Lord stands no chance against their assault, and falls before he can deal any additional damage.

The party's weapons are sheathed, and a collective sigh is exhaled. Hayato looks to Fae and says, "That was impressive, Fae; your new Smokeblight Skill really works."

She giggles at the praise. "Aw, thanks, Prince Hayato." Holding up the tome that is usually clipped at her hip, she follows, "While I was studying with Aunt Gwen, I thought up a way to mix smoke effects to make them better." She blushes, slightly embarrassed to admit that, "It doesn't work both ways, so I can't make the regular bombs better, but Smokeblight makes enemies weaker to elemental attacks."

Gwenivere pats her on the head as she says, "Nonsense, sweetie; this improvement is incredible. I'm proud of you."

Fiona picks Fae up and lets her sit upon her shoulders. "You're the hero of this battle, kid; let's head back to the tavern and claim our reward."

Mirina holds a hand up in greeting upon seeing the Seekers. "You guys don't look too bad; how's progress?"

Cyrus yawns and says, "We cleared out the moles. I tried to talk the leader down, but he insisted on trying to kill us." Ruffling Fae's hair, he chuckles before following, "Little Fae here was the star with her new Smokeblight." Fae can't help but smile at the praise, though she says nothing.

"I'm glad to hear things are going well." She then hands Cyrus a Luck Necklace. "I see Fae is already wearing one, but hopefully you can find a use for another." He nods to her before storing the necklace with the Guild's belongings. "That reminds me; Syrik has another job for you. It sounds like he needs an escort, but I hope the job isn't too dangerous."

They exchange farewells with the proprietress before returning to the marketplace. Even if they didn't have business with Syrik's request, they do have a large sum of broken claws to sell as materials. Before handing the materials over, Fae steps over to Syrik and asks, "You need some more help, Mr. Syrik?"

"Yep, and boy am I glad you guys answered the call. Normally, I go alone when I need to make a delivery into the Labyrinth, but the last time I was there, I got attacked…barely made it out alive. I need to hit up the ninth floor to make a delivery; I know this favor's a big one, but do you think you can help me out?"

Cyrus shrugs. "That's no problem, Syrik. That said, we're not heading to the ninth floor just yet; there is at least one more request left for us to handle before exploration begins proper."

"I understand. Just let me know when you're ready to go." Cyrus nods his assent and then places the bag of broken claws on the counter. "Whoa! You guys don't mess around!"

With no immediate purchases to make, the party returns to the Labyrinth's eighth floor. At the floor's entrance, roughly a dozen guards are gathered nearby; some are standing at attention while others are engaged in combat training. Before long, the commanding officer marches to the Seekers and offers a salute. The party returns it in kind, though it is more out of reflex than anything else.

"At ease, Seekers Guild. You have my thanks for accepting this challenge; I'll speak freely, so feel free to do the same."

Looking to the training soldiers, Cyrus smiles and says, "You have an impressive corps here."

Fiona nods, directing her attention at the soldiers engaged in combat training. "I dare say Kujura's group would find these guards to be worthy opponents…and he's too prideful to consider anyone worthy."

The guard chuckles at this. "You flatter us, really. Recently, what with the influx of explorers, some civilians have taken to attributing the city's safety to those who progress through Yggdrasil, rather than its sworn guardians."

Cyrus winces at this. "You have my apologies. As a guardsman of my own country, I know that pain quite well."

"We bear no grudge; it's on no fault of yours that the public opinion is so easily swayed. However, we guardsmen take pride in our work, so you can understand how this mentality could serve as a blow to morale." He looks over the party again, as if sizing up its members. "Though the Seekers are not as well known here in Iorys compared to the rest of the world, many of the members of my squad know of your reputation." He pauses for a moment, likely in order to piece his next words together. "In addition to improving our standing with the people, we'd also like to test ourselves against the fabled Seekers."

Cyrus chuckles. "I must clarify that the real thing is no match for the legend. What is your challenge?"

"Quite simple. We both go hunting on this floor to see which of our groups can slay more monsters. If you need a moment to prepare, then please take the time to do so."

Cyrus glances to his team, who all give him a silent nod in reply. Looking back to the guard, he says, "By your mark, Sir Knight."

"Very well. Return here when you feel that your kill count is sufficient." Just before he turns to his group, he stops to return his attention to the Seekers. "Ah, one more thing. I'll be accompanying you as a representative of the Guard Corps. I'll be watching how the Seekers handle themselves." He then turns to his own men. "Now, move out!" The soldiers on standby begin their march into the Labyrinth. "Look alive, Seekers. If you don't hurry, you'll be eating their dust before long."

He takes to following the Seekers as they make way for the chasm passage in between the canyons located at D5. Curiously, not many enemies seem to be present, though the party isn't worried. Soon, a Stoneray and Gobbler appear before the party, looking for a fight. Cyrus draws his sword, stepping forward to take the vanguard. "Fiona, the Stoneray is weak to Ice. We lack a means to inflict Leg Bind or Sleep with this party, so we're hyper-focusing on it."

Fae asks, "What about the giant turkey?"

"It will likely spend its first turn fortifying its physical defenses; we have elemental damage so this doesn't matter. Let's get to it." The party unleashes a full volley against the Stoneray without taking the time to buff beforehand. The guard captain finds this strange until he realizes that Fiona's finishing strike with Chain Freeze allows her to carry over the momentum to hit the Gobbler with Chain Burst. True to Cyrus' claim, the Gobbler spent its moment of safety bolstering its defense, which proved to be a waste of its time, allowing the party to end the encounter swiftly, and with no injuries sustained.

There is no room for comfort, for the party is immediately struck by an ambush. Hayato and Fiona are knocked to the ground by the assault of two Jumping Caracals, while Cyrus is tossed into a rock wall by a Cliff Goat; as he picks himself up, he realizes that he can't see straight, and his balance is shot. Fae is the one to take charge, much to the guardsman's surprise. "Fi-Fi! Use Blessing and throw your guard up!" Looking to Gwenivere, she follows, "I need to clear up Uncle's confusion, so give him medicine for his wounds." Gwenivere nods to this, pulling a bottle of Medica from the satchel at her side and rushing over to Cyrus. "Prince, use Ruinous Prayer."

The card is already within his grip as he nods to her. "Leave it to me." Before he can trigger the effects of his card, Cyrus rushes past him and takes a stab at one of the Jumping Caracals. This brings him closer to Fae and Gwenivere, allowing both of them to treat his condition before the Cliff Goat and second Jumping Caracal focus him down again. Drawing his bow, Hayato shouts, "Cyrus, you need to fall back!"

Upon receiving the effects of Fiona's Blessing, Cyrus rises to his feet and draws his sword, his eyes set on the Jumping Caracal that attacked him. "Fae, the Cliff Goat resists Blind; we'll just have to deal with its assault for now. Stay close to Milady."

"O- OK!"

Cyrus runs back into the mix to stab out the eyes of one Jumping Caracal, allowing Hayato to easily dodge its incoming strike. The other Caracal capitalizes on this and strikes Hayato instead, but falls back shortly afterward. With a single bout of Chain Freeze, the blinded Caracal is dispatched while the Cliff Goat is heavily damaged. When Fiona unleashes a second bout of following up on her allies' attacks, her momentum carries over to Chain Burst, which slays the Cliff Goat instantly. The Seekers check the area to confirm the presence of any additional enemies, letting out a sigh of relief when the coast proves to be clear.

Fae walks over to Hayato and assesses his injuries. "You don't look hurt; anything broken?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Thanks."

She then walks over to Cyrus. "You alright, Uncle? You took a real beating just now."

"Part of the job, Fae." He then ruffles her hair, to which she giggles. "You did well to keep the situation under control."

"I, um…kinda just gave orders without thinking…I'm sorry…"

Cyrus chuckles at this. "That's a sign of natural talent." He looks to Fiona and asks, "How are you holding up? I imagine those Chain Skills are taking a lot out of you."

"We have provisions to keep my stamina up, but for the moment, I'm fine. Let's keep going. We've only dispatched five enemies at this point." By the time 5PM rolls around, the party has secured its tenth kill. Soon after the battle is won, a smoke signal flies into the air. "Are your men in trouble?"

"Do not be alarmed; that is merely an update from the Guard Corps. You may continue at your own pace." Cyrus calls for a break, catching the guard by surprise.

When Fiona takes a seat on a nearby rock beside Gwenivere, she looks up to find that Cyrus is offering her a serving of Fruit Cake. She chuckles at the gesture, accepting the offer as she says, "Thank you, Cyrus." She takes a single bite, lingering as she savors the flavor. "Blueberry?" Cyrus nods, to which she smiles in turn.

Fae takes out a few supplies and sets out to work on restocking her bomb supply. Gwenivere assists her in this endeavor, providing some tips to subtly improve the effects therein. Hayato works to maintain his bow, and is currently tightening the drawstring. Cyrus is standing off to the side, staring off in the distance at nothing in particular. The guard captain, though he wishes to ask the Seekers some specific questions, remains as the silent observer. A barren landscape stretches before the Guild's leader, to which he can only sigh as he closes his eyes to focus on the environment around him. ' _In hindsight, we should have come in here with some Beast Bells. We'd finish up the quest before 7PM, allowing for a proper rest at the inn before we tackle the ninth floor._ '

When the break is over, the party returns to its hunt for monsters. By the time 7PM rolls around, and the sun has settled to give rise to the moon, the party has secured its 15th kill. Another smoke signal rises from elsewhere on the floor. The guardsman looks to this signal, his countenance – though subdued – gives a clear sign that he's distressed. Before long, he calls out to the Seekers. "My men are out of steam; the challenge is complete."

Cyrus lets out a sigh at this. "Braving the Labyrinth isn't the same as defending a city from invaders. Guardsmen are usually pit against their fellow man, creatures of habit that are far easier to understand. The Labyrinth's inhabitants are largely unknown, their behaviors even more so."

"I suppose that is a mindset you can only afford if you've played for both sides." He shakes his head, his distressed expression no less apparent. "Still, it's small wonder that you guys are famous; even when a battle starts poorly, you turn it into an advantage. After your use of Mana Heal, I think you actually turned a profit after that ambush from several hours ago." He then begins to make his way back to the floor's entrance, hanging his head low.

The party watches him walk away for a brief moment before Cyrus steps up to Gwenivere's side. "Gwen." She glances at him, meeting his gaze with her own. A moment of silence is exchanged before she nods. "I leave this to you."

"Sir Knight, a moment, if you will." The guard captain stops and performs an about-face to give her his attention. "Public opinion, as you said before, is easily swayed. The grime of shame can be easily washed away with victory. If you're not good enough for them at present, you need only train until you reach an acceptable level." She looks to her husband, and then glances at Fae, both of whom are giving her expectant looks. "I do not think it fair to compare your Guard Corps to explorers. As my husband said before, exploring the Labyrinth is a different beast from what you trained for. As the future ruler of a province, I know this difference from experience." She rests a hand on her hip, her look becoming quite stern. "Becoming depressed over this defeat serves you no benefit. Redouble your efforts instead."

The guardsman laughs at this. "I guess it really is that simple, huh? Easier said than done, but nothing worth doing is easy, right?" He then offers another salute, which the party returns in kind. "You have my deepest gratitude for accepting this request. We tend to forget that, regardless of what the people may say, we signed on board to protect them. Knowing they're safe is enough. I wish you all good luck out there; take care of yourselves." He salutes the group one last time before departing.

With their quest complete, the party warps out of the Labyrinth to return to the Twilight Tavern. Mirina is busy serving a few orders, but still offers her greeting. "A guard came by to increase the reward you guys earned; I guess you cleared the challenge and then some." After handing Fiona two copper ingots, her expression shifts to display concern. "There's one more request that just came in; it's on the dangerous side so I'd appreciate it if you guys looked into it."

Hayato asks, "What's the job?"

"One of my patrons came back with his Guild, but wasn't feeling well. After checking in with a doctor, it turns out that he'd been poisoned by an FOE known as the Glaring Stinger."

Fae adopts a look of concern to match. "That monster's poison is too strong for regular medicine; is he OK?"

"He's alive, but hospitalized. His guildmates are the ones who put in the request. They're asking that you harvest Scorpion Venom from a Glaring Stinger." She then hands Cyrus a syringe. "You'll need to inject the creature with this in order to extract the venom. You can't just defeat the creature and then extract the poison, either."

Resting a hand on her hip, Gwenivere says, "I'm willing to bet that the scorpion loses all toxicity upon death." Mirina nods to this, causing Gwenivere to click her tongue in frustration. "Typical." She looks to Cyrus and asks, "How easy is it to avoid the creature's sight?"

"Simple enough; we were forced to do so during our initial trek through the sixth floor." He shrugs. "Quite frankly, I'm just glad we don't have to fight one. Lord Hayato is exhausted from all the spirit-channeling he did during the guard corps' trial."

Hayato shakes his head to this. "Nothing the beautiful Mirina's cooking can't fix."

"Oh Prince, you flatter me."

Cyrus shakes his head to this before pointing out Fiona's exhaustion as well. She blushes at this. "Are you still on about that? I'm fine, Cyrus; the fruit cake you made me helped plenty." He raises an eyebrow to this, saying that he never claimed to be the chef responsible. "Oh please, I know your cooking; no one else takes my tastes into account nearly as intently as you do." She then delivers a light punch to his arm. "I'm not itching for a fight, but if it comes down to one, I'm ready."

He looks to Fae and Gwenivere, the two members of the party who look to be the least tired of the group. When they both claim to be ready for combat, he sighs. The party departs from the tavern with the syringe in tow. Upon reaching the nesting area of the Glaring Stinger in C4, Gwenivere adopts a look of horror upon her countenance. "By the gods; what manner of unholy mutation is that?" She looks to her husband, resting one hand on his shoulder as she points to the FOE with the other. He stands there, a blank expression on his face. "You never said the creature looked like this!"

Fae takes to hiding behind Cyrus, not even willing to peek from behind his legs to look at the Glaring Stinger up ahead. "N- No. That is not OK."

Fiona shakes her head at the sight before looking to Hayato. He shakes his head in turn, taking a step back for emphasis. "Yeah, I'm gonna give this one a flat, 'nope' as my verdict." She then sighs, resting her hands on her hips as she looks towards the ground and shakes her head again. "We have to face this at some point."

"True, but that need not be tonight." Taking the syringe from the Guild's essentials, he takes a step forward. "You all wait here; while I extract the venom, you can decide on if you wish to face it in combat." He waits until the Glaring Stinger is looking away before stabbing the tip of its tail with the painless syringe. Cyrus makes use of magic to meet this task, given that climbing atop the creature is not an option. Once the syringe is full of the venom, he pulls the syringe free and carefully stores it with his Guild's essentials once again. ' _Simple enough._ '

When he returns to his group, everyone has taken to sitting upon a large flat rock. Fiona is enjoying a freshly heated pancake while Hayato happily devours some honeyed yogurt. The former points her fork at Cyrus, swallowing her food before she says, "We'll take a preemptive strike, Cyrus; let's do this."

' _Oh boy._ ' He nods, stepping forward as he says, "Seekers, prepare for combat." Gwenivere asks for everyone to gather in a circle. As a flash of white shimmers from everyone present, Cyrus looks to her and asks, "What's your gambit?"

She smirks at him. "I have learned how to use a new Union Skill." To demonstrate, she draws a small amount of energy from her comrades before firing a pure white orb at the Glaring Stinger. Aside from dealing minor damage and catching the creature's attention, the spell appears to do nothing. Gwenivere stands dumbfounded at the notion of her spell failing. "Bloody Hell. That was supposed to inflict binds…" She blushes, turning away from Cyrus as she says, "I'm so ashamed; avert your gaze!"

Cyrus pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread, unraveling it to trigger the warp effect. "Yeah, this was a bad idea." Once the party returns to the tavern, he hands the syringe over to Mirina.

"That was quick." She looks to Gwenivere, who is still hiding her face behind her hands. "Is…Lady Gwenivere alright?"

"She gets this way when she makes mistakes in front of me." He chuckles, soon letting out a sigh in turn. "As my mistress, she has her pride; I hold her in high regard, so she endeavors to appear as perfection given human form." He glances back at Gwenivere before returning his focus to Mirina. "Any mistake is too great with her, but she always recovers."

"I'll take your word for it. In the meantime, I'll make sure the Royal Library gets this venom sample." She then watches as Cyrus wraps an around Gwenivere's farthest shoulder before leading her and his party out of the tavern. "Be sure to get some rest, guys."

"Will do, Matron."


	18. Syrik's Special Delivery

**Chapter 18: Syrik's Special Delivery**

The following morning arrives as an early one for all except Cyrus. Though he is normally the first member of Seekers to awaken, on this morn, he is the last. He is roused by Fae, who sits upon his chest lightly slapping his cheeks. "Uncle? It's time to get up." He lets out a groan in reply, turning his head away from her. "No, you have to get up…" She gives a few additional slaps, all of which are thoroughly ignored. "Please?"

"Ten min- hours. Just ten hours…"

She becomes flustered at this. "That's way too much time!" She then departs from the room, where the others are waiting outside. "He won't get up; I think he's really tired."

Hayato adopts a contemplative stance, resting his chin in his hand to take a moment to think on this matter. "Let us test the depths of his exhaustion." Before anyone can ask how he plans to proceed with this course of action, he steps beside the doorway, taking additional care to pull Fae to the side with him. Now the doorway is clear of obstructions. He then clears his throat to say, "Wow, Lady Gwenivere! Those new tights go really well with your dress!" A rustling sounds from within their room, followed by the sound of Cyrus' body crashing on the floor. He pokes his head through the doorway, likely in search of Gwenivere. "At least he's not sick."

Upon seeing Gwenivere, Cyrus is disappointed to not see her wearing a new pair of tights as was promised. He quickly gets over this, for the sight of her in a Celestrian dress still strikes him as divine. "It matters not; Milady's legs are perfection incarnate." Gwenivere blushes at this, but gives no reply other than a short laugh. Cyrus then looks around the hall before clutching at his head. "I didn't drink last night, right?"

Gwenivere scoffs at the notion. "And risk letting our sweet Fae see you drunk? That would never happen."

"You mean Uncle drinks something other than those lemon-lime sodas? Wow."

Looking to Cyrus, Fiona asks, "Are you unwell? It's not like you to sleep in so late."

"I'm fine. I think the days caught up to me." He takes the moment to stretch his back, a loud pop causing his allies to flinch and don expressions of concern. Curiously, he exhales a content sigh after the motion. "Sorry to keep you all waiting; we can leave straight away if you're ready to depart."

Fae takes offense to this, donning an expression to match. "You can't skip breakfast! It's important!"

"I can just heat an egg-in-a-bas-"

"No! You need balance!" She then grabs his hand and leads him towards the staircase; "Ms. Jenetta is busy, so let's go ask Ms. Matron instead." She leaves no room for protest; the rest of the party follows behind the duo as they make way for the Twilight Tavern.

Mirina looks to see Fae's serious expression, as well as her grip on Cyrus. "Did…something happen?" After a brief explanation from the others, she chuckles. "I'll make something light for you, Cyrus. Oh, speaking of food, a request came in; do you remember the chef who wanted the Scarlet Carapace?" The party nods. "I went to the restaurant to check the place out. The chef's…a bit scatterbrained. The owner wanted him to stock up on shrimp, not lobster."

Fiona raises an eyebrow to this, unable to hold back the smile on her lips. "How'd he screw that up?"

"No clue. Then again, his mistake has the customers going nuts, so it's not all bad. That same chef put in a request for some ingredients. He needs a bottle of milk, two eggs, and three bundles of Forest Wheat." She jabs a thumb towards the center of the tavern, where a man looks to be over-encumbered by the wares he has carried here. "If you're missing any of the ingredients, or just need extras, might I trouble you to buy something off that guy; it hurts to look at that sight."

The party approaches this man and purchases three bundles of Forest Wheat at 300en a bundle, along with two extra eggs for personal use. They then turn these ingredients over to Mirina, who thanks them before handing over a monetary reward in return. She then disappears into the kitchen, presumably to take Cyrus' order. ' _Wait, I didn't specify my order…_ ' Despite this, she returns with exactly what he was craving. Upon being ushered to his seat by Fae, he is then presented with a plate of scrambled eggs accompanied by four buttery biscuits and a small bowl of maple syrup for dipping purposes. Upon closer inspection, the eggs have been cooked to remove any semblance of runny texture, and the biscuits, in turn, are spongy yet crispy. A glass of cherry lemonade is off to the side. ' _This is exactly what I was going to cook for myself…how?_ '

He looks to Mirina in shock, alternating his gaze between her and the dish. She dons a smirk as she rests a hand on her hip. "Are you awestruck? Falling in love again?" She giggles, waving off her questions dismissively. "I'm only joking. Please, dig in."

"How did you know?"

"Hm…clear the Second Stratum and I'll tell you. Does that sound fair?"

"We have a deal."

"Excellent. Enjoy your meal, Cyrus."

After his meal is consumed and his price paid, Cyrus departs from the tavern with his comrades to make way for the marketplace. Syrik is experiencing a slow start at present, and looks quite happy to see the Seekers. When they explain that they're here to escort him to the ninth floor, he quickly gathers his belongings and takes off alongside them. Oddly enough, he is leaving Amy in charge of the stall. Upon arriving at the ninth floor, one of the giraffe FOEs can be seen charging in the distance. "Whoa, didn't think a giraffe could get that buff."

"How many deliveries do you need to make, Mr. Syrik?"

"Three." He then marks all three delivery points on the party's map. "Don't worry about me during a fight; I'll be sure to hide somewhere safe." The group slips into an alternate path in between two canyons to avoid the two charging giraffes. Along this path, they are beset by a Stun Cicada accompanied by a parrot the size of an adult Earthlain. Yellow is the primary color of this creature, with portions of its plumage sporting varying shades of blue. This blue plumage wraps around its neck, transitioning into a red feather that gives it the guise of wearing a tie. "Yikes!" Syrik takes refuge behind a large boulder; "Go get 'em, guys!"

Looking to the parrot, Cyrus says, "That parrot is weak to Volt, and appears to have a Conditional Drop tied to the element. Lord Hayato, give us a Bolt Prayer. Everyone else, refrain from attacking that parrot until after we've set up an assault." The Stun Cicada is quickly dealt with, though Fiona, Gwenivere, and Hayato are left paralyzed by its death cry. ' _There really is no way around that; we may have to handle the parrot first from now on._ ' Cyrus motions to stab out one of the parrot's eyes; though he succeeds, the creature unleashes a furious kick in retaliation, sending Cyrus crashing into the boulder Syrik is using as a hiding spot.

Hearing the crash, Syrik thinks, ' _What was that?_ ' When Cyrus' unconscious form slumps into view, Syrik's eyes widen in terror. ' _Holy shit…_ ' Fae rushes over to place an herb beneath Cyrus' nostrils. The scent quickly brings him back into consciousness, but the parrot is drawing near. Fiona and Hayato are still unable to move, granting the parrot the chance to rush over and attack Fae while she's vulnerable. "No, Fae! Look out!"

She turns in time to see the parrot's talons flying towards her, but she hasn't the time to dodge. Cyrus takes her into his embrace and braces himself for a second impact. The kick isn't enough to knock him unconscious, but he is sent rolling along the rocky terrain. He sets Fae onto her feet before checking her condition. He sighs in relief to see that she is unharmed, but his relief is quickly replaced by intense pain wracking his form. Luckily, Gwenivere ends the encounter with a second casting of Lightning. Everyone rushes over to check on their comrades.

Fae helps Cyrus sit up. "That was really bad luck."

"You said it." He groans, clutching at his chest. "I figured it would mimic our attacks, but I didn't expect it to do so that soon." Looking to Gwenivere, he follows, "We'll be counting on you to handle those things since they don't respond to magic; we'll buff accordingly while you use Focus Chant to prepare."

"I understand. Can you walk?" She watches as he attempts to rise to his feet. Though he does not stumble or lose his footing, she can tell that he is still disoriented. Before she can step in, Fiona walks over and wraps his arm around her shoulder, offering support.

"Let's get over to that flat rock so Fae can treat you. I tried to heal you preemptively with a Blessing, but the effect took place before Fae could revive you."

"Don't worry about it, Fiona." Once his wounds are treated, he rises to his feet again, this time far more stable than he was before. Looking to Syrik, he asks, "Are you well, Syrik? Need water or something to eat?"

"Y- You're seriously worried about me after what just happened to you?"

"Though misfortune of that caliber isn't common for me within this world, I've been dealt much worse in Erdboden. Death…is quite a common end for me to meet. I'm lucky I have Amy around to revive me."

"Wait, what? What kind of side effects does that bring?"

"Despite what you may be thinking, I don't suffer anything like permanent brain damage, though I admit there are side effects that I have to live with." He glances at Fae, who looks to him with concern once again. "Those side effects…must be saved for another day. The worst of them has no bearing on my ability to function, so let's not dwell on it."

Syrik nods, leaving the conversation on this note. Fae reaches out to tug on his pants leg, but relents. ' _He probably gets sad talking about it; he'll tell me later…_ '

A tired guard sits upon a tree stump at a dead end; this dead end, as indicated by the map, is one of Syrik's delivery locations. He steps up to the guard and hands him an assortment of potions. He receives the guard's pay, and even gets to keep the change. They exchange pleasantries before Syrik bids him farewell and rejoins the party. "That leaves two. Let's get going."

The valley through which the party travels eventually leads back to the canyon harboring the stampeding giraffes. A stone pillar bars the path, so the Seekers endeavor to push it down. As they do so, one of the giraffes charges right into its falling trajectory. Though it is not killed by the impact, the creature is injured enough to keep it from moving. In turn, the second giraffe charges without paying heed to the change in its environment. The party weaves through the now shrunken charging path of the second giraffe to obtain the contents of a treasure chest.

Within is a crystal, one that Syrik appraises. "Huh, that's an All-sight Crystal; if you hold it over your map and channel mana into it, you can reveal the location of treasure." He gives a thumbs-up, smiling as he says, "That's a rare find, Seekers; better take care of it."

They secure this crystal with their belongings before continuing forward. With the giraffes out of the way, the party is free to take the northern exit out of this canyon. The next room is a more condensed area sporting a Glaring Stinger at the end of a long stretch. Cyrus stares at the creature blankly. "The solution to this is both hilariously simple, and simultaneously egregious." They step into the next room, opting to leave the FOE to its own devices for a moment longer.

In here is what appears to be the remains of a campfire. Though the Seekers have nothing to cook, they mark its presence for future reference. Just ahead is another door; stepping inside, the party is met with the revelation that this area is directly connected to the room harboring the Glaring Stinger. A pillar stands directly in between the small passage that links the rooms together. The party topples this pillar, effectively blocking the vision of the Glaring Stinger. Fiona chuckles at this, looking to Cyrus as she says, "Guess we made it even simpler."

As they step through the door beyond the Glaring Stinger's domain, they are immediately beset by a quintet of enemies. Three Cliff Goats occupy the back row while a pair of Rending Moles occupies the front. Hayato adopts a disgusted expression to this. "Disgusting." Cyrus calls for Gwenivere to fire off the Tri-Magic Union Skill. With the help of him, Fiona, and Hayato, she casts the spell, which slaughters the entirety of the opposition. Hayato puts his bow at rest. "We really need to stop underestimating the power of that Union Skill."

Gwenivere looks to her hands, which emanate leftover aetherial energy even now. "I wasn't even buffed by Amplifier when I used that." She looks to her husband, a smile on her face. "Were you watching, Cyrus? I'd say my training is really starting to hit its stride."

He nods to her. "I would agree. I look forward to seeing how far you go by the end of this adventure." Nearby is a dead end where the party takes a moment to reap a few bundles of wheat. With this done, they proceed further into the area, where another of Syrik's clients awaits. After business is concluded, the group continues forward. Cyrus looks to Syrik as he walks and says, "You've certainly made a good name for yourself; as a fellow businessman, it does the heart good to see you and your customers treating each other so well."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that you run a shop back home. Speaking of, is it gonna be alright with you world-hopping like this?"

"Oh, no worries. My two apprentices are competent enough to not need me around, and my secretary can handle the legal work with little trouble." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sometimes I wonder why she keeps me around at all; she's far more competent at the task than I am."

Fiona chimes in, answering Cyrus' inquiry; "It's because you know your people so well. Your secretary is a shrewd businesswoman like Edie, right?" He nods to this. "Yeah, she definitely needs you, then. You can never separate the human condition, not even from business."

"Yeah, Fiona's right. The only reason I can be up here peddling my wares is because my customers trust me that much. I'm in it for profit, yes – that's my job – but I always remember that my clients are people, not sentient money pouches."

Fae places a finger to her chin. "Hm…do you think a living wallet would spend money?" Everyone falls silent at this, with Cyrus and Syrik going so far as to stop in place entirely. "D- Did I say something weird?" The two then begin muttering to themselves, rapidly firing off potential answers to Fae's hypothetical question. She grows flustered at this, holding her hands out as she looks to the others for help. "I think I broke them! What d- what do I do?!"

The two look to be stuck in this state. Fiona and Gwenivere roll their eyes at the notion. The former picks up Syrik to carry him as he continues his muttering; the latter grabs Cyrus by the hand and leads him forward. The next room features a wider clearing than the party is used to seeing. By map dimensions, this clearing is 3x4, when the norm is 3x3. Odder still is its exit, which is two tiles wide when translated to the map. This notion is enough to snap Cyrus out of his previous stupor.

"How pecul-" He is cut off by the sight of a Glaring Stinger approaching the party. "Wait, we stepped into its range?! Uh, fall back!" Worse still, there are actually two Glaring Stingers in this room. The party escapes pursuit by running through a nearby door that practically blends in with the walls of the canyon. Cyrus holds up a hand to call for a silent cease of action. Just up ahead is a large boulder, one from which he can sense a strange presence. He slowly makes his way over to check behind it, but there is nothing there. ' _Did I imagine it?_ '

Gwenivere then calls out to him, pointing to the ground as she says, "Cyrus, there's a strong flow of aether emanating from that region." He opts to brush away the dirt of this region, soon uncovering a small treasure box that has been marred with age. Gwenivere draws closer to study the box. "I believe this is sealed with magic." She then takes a moment to ponder how long this has been here, which Cyrus momentarily ignores in order to dispel the lock. "Hm? Ah, you opened it." Within the box are three units of Celestrian Silver. "A nice find indeed."

"Agreed. Good work pointing it out, Gwen."

She lets out a haughty huff as she rests her hands on her hips. "I am more than just a pretty face and commanding presence, darling. You should rely on me more often."

"Gwen, I'm your servant; it is your duty to rely on me."

"Yes, yes, I understand that it's your job to cater to my whims, but you forget that we are married now, that we are partners. Though our original relationship is retained, we are equals now." She grabs hold of his hand as she places the coins amongst the party's belongings. "Now, let us walk as one, further into this Labyrinth."

This small room connects with the area housing the Glaring Stingers, even hosting another pillar the Seekers can knock down. After doing this, Cyrus times his next advance so that he may procure the copper ingot resting within a treasure chest without alerting the FOEs to his presence. One Glaring Stinger notices him, but cannot endeavor in a pursuit since its comrade refuses to move. With their vision obscured, the party is free to proceed. They eventually reach another dead end beyond a clearing.

The path leading to this dead is particularly barren, even by this Stratum's standards, which Hayato points out as strange. He looks down to find that the ground has been disturbed. Upon closer inspection, he says, "There's dried blood in the soil." Sensing danger nearby, he suggests that everyone retreat; his suggestion is heeded, leaving the Seekers to depart.

The shortcut leading back to the descending staircase is just up ahead, prompting the Seekers to endeavor in unlocking it before proceeding to the final delivery point. Here, an explorer can be found skinning the corpse of a beast. Syrik hails the explorer, who reveals herself to be Aria, the violet-haired Fencer who frequents the tavern. Fiona raises a hand and asks, "Hard at work, Aria?"

"Yep; my Guild is running low on rations, meat in particular." After signing off on Syrik's ledger, she receives her order. "You're a life-saver, Syrik, thanks."

The two shakes hands before Syrik bids her a safe journey. Looking to the Seekers, he follows, "I appreciate the help, guys; I'll leave the reward with Mirina, like always." Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, he gives a final parting statement, "You all take care out there!"

Aria chuckles, a smile on her face. "Syrik is pretty reliable; don't know where we'd be without him. Thanks for keeping him safe, Seekers. We're in your debt, too."

Aria then notices the rest of her Guild in the distance. She bids the party farewell to join up with them. The Seekers touch up on the tenth floor in order to get a cursory view of what's to come. After Cyrus maps out a small portion of what he can see, the party returns to the ninth floor to map out what paths remain. One such path is a long stretch that ends at D4. Here, atop a cliff, blossoms a single white flower. Though the party finds the flower peaceful to observe, they see no reason to put themselves in danger in an effort to retrieve it; they depart from here, making way to the last dead end located in D5.

The hour has struck 4PM by this point, leaving the Seekers with plenty of time to rest before exploring the next floor. At this dead end is a small hole in the rocky wall. After a cursory glance, Cyrus says, "This hole becomes wider further in. That said, I cannot say reaching in here is advisable." Gwenivere then steps over, using a hip bump to push her husband aside. "Milady?" She ignores his momentary confusion in favor of reaching inside the hole. While she does this, the others fail to notice that a trio of Volt Squirrels has approached.

Cyrus and Hayato are zapped by lightning, leaving their comrades to take up arms to aid them. Stepping forward, Gwenivere summons a magical barrier to mitigate the incoming electric attacks. Hayato summons a yellow card crackling with electric energy, which then imbues the party's weapons to deal innate Volt damage; more importantly, they have all become more resistant to Volt damage in turn. Fae tosses a Dark Bomb, managing to blind two of the Volt Squirrels. This makes the enemy opposition fairly easy to deal with, allowing the Seekers to end the fight quickly.

Unfortunately all of the combat only served to draw in a trio of Stonerays. All three of these creatures send forth energy rings to bind the arms of the party, sealing everyone except Fiona. Hayato and Fae are still capable of using their abilities, as is Gwenivere. Seeing this, Cyrus gives a slew of orders. "Change in plans…Fiona, we're holding the line; Fae, Poison Bomb; Milady, buff up; Lord Hayato, we need the Aegis Prayer." Their orders are carried out promptly and efficiently, though the Stonerays do unintentionally offer assistance by wasting their time trying to seal Fiona's arms. With Gwenivere's ability to use Union Skills now recharged, Cyrus says, "Milady, use Tri-Magic."

Upon doing so, the Stonerays are obliterated. The party lets out a sigh of relief, but the sound of flapping wings can be heard directly above. Cyrus and Fiona are then attacked by a pair of Prancing Parrots. The two can barely stand after the assault, but pick themselves up all the same. Fiona shouts, "I'll call upon a Blessing; we need to get Lady Gwenivere setup!"

The two parrots waste their opportunity prepping to mimic the party's anticipated counterattack. Upon realizing that the Seekers aren't going to aggressively repay their ambush, they motion to attack normally, only to be blasted by Hayato's use of Dance Oracle. The burst of electricity catches the birds off guard, allowing Fiona to stab one in the throat with Chain Shock. With the added momentum from her kill, she then pivots to charge at the final parrot; her use of Chain Burst grants her the chance to stab the creature through the brain, ending its life.

With this battle concluded, there are no more incoming enemies. Gwenivere then thrusts her arm back into the hole, an irate expression plastered on her countenance. "Whatever is in here better be worth it." She pulls out a helmet, one that appears to be brand new. "What in th- who put this here?!" She shakes her head before placing the helmet among the rest of the Guild's belongings. She reaches into Cyrus' pocket and pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "What utter rubbish; we're leaving, everyone."

Before stopping at the marketplace to sell their acquired materials, the party returns to the Twilight Tavern, where Mirina immediately takes note of Gwenivere's still furious expression. "Oh dear, what happened?"

"It is irrelevant, dear Mirina. Making poor decisions is part of this job, I surmise." She looks to Cyrus and Fiona. "I am so sorry for my choice; you both were injured because of me." She then turns to pick up Hayato, holding him close as she offers an apology in turn. "I must offer my apologies to you as well, young Prince; those attacks must have been painful." His voice is muffled, causing Gwenivere to realize that she has taken to accidentally smothering her comrade in her bosom. She quickly pulls him away. "Terribly sorry…"

"It," he then takes a deep breath before exhaling. "Whew. It's OK." Looking to Mirina, he asks, are there any more quests? She shakes her head in reply. "Huh, so we are free to explore the tenth floor on our own."

After handing Cyrus the Guild's reward for completing Syrik's request, Mirina says, "I'd check in with the Council, though; you probably have a map to turn in anyway, right?"

The party assents to the notion, soon after exchanging farewells with Mirina before departing from the tavern. Their next stop is the Council Hall, where Prince Ramus is engaged in light reading. The party drops off their map of the eighth floor, for which the prince offers his gratitude and three bottles of Hamao. Aside from brief pleasantries, there are no new missions to tackle, so the party departs from the Council Hall to return to Jenetta's Inn.

"Hiya~ My, you're all back pretty early; how was the ninth floor?"

Fae walks over and jumps up to hug Jenetta, which the innkeeper returns with a loving squeeze. "We finished mapping it!"

"Seriously? It's barely past 5PM. Oh, speaking of the tenth floor, one of my patrons found a seven-horned beetle!" She then pouts as she sets Fae back down. "I don't really like beetles, personally. When I was a little girl, I fought one over a slice of watermelon and lost…"

Amy steps into lobby, a smile on her face as she announces her presence with a giggle. "That reminds me of the time Cyrus, Terri, Leslie, and I went to gather medicine materials from the Sinister Jungle. We all wanted to take a break in a nearby hot spring, and after we were finished, a crab tried to run off with nii-chan's boxers." She then has a laugh over this, with the others stifling their own snickers in turn.

Cyrus can only nod, smiling wryly at the notion. "That mischievous little imp cast a haste spell on itself just before scurrying off, too." He sighs, shaking his head as he says, "Oh well. That's ancient history anyway." Looking to Jenetta, he asks, "Is the rest of my Guild here at the Inn?" She nods, and then calls for the others. When they arrive, Cyrus clears his throat to call for their attention. "Thank you, Jenetta. Everyone, I'd like to hold a strategy meeting; let us assemble at the nearby park."

Fae then hops onto Cyrus' back, pointing a finger forward as she shouts, "To adventure!" Jenetta bids them farewell with a wave, watching as they depart. Upon arriving at the park, Fae drops to the ground and looks up to Cyrus; "Is this about the Boss?" He shakes his head in reply. "Huh."

"Make yourselves comfortable, team; we might be here for a bit." Fae and Hayato take to occupying a pair of empty swings. A bench is nearby, which is where Gwenivere and Lissa decide to sit. Clarisse sits upon the top of this same bench's backrest, directly behind Lissa. Balto lies down in front of Lissa's feet, letting out a yawn. The bench rests beneath the shade of a nearby tree, upon which Valerie rests her back. Fiona and Amy practice their footwork by dancing together; Cyrus remains standing. "Sorry for the sudden summons, everyone, but I think we've all reached the point where our parties can start mixing together to address specific needs."

Valerie asks, "This is about the upcoming FOEs we have to face, right?"

"To an extent, yes. Let's take the Glaring Stinger as an example. Fiona's Chain Squad can make short work of the creature, but with no means to restrict the creature's combat ability, we're liable to get overwhelmed before victory can be achieved." Glancing to Gwenivere, he follows, "Milady has learned a new Union Skill, one that can fully bind all enemies. With support from Valerie's Wilting Miasma, we can increase the success rate of those binds."

Crossing her arms, Clarisse says, "But then comes the problem of figuring out who the Princess will replace." After staring at Cyrus for a moment, she realizes, "Wait, you intend for Valerie to replace you for that purpose, don't you?" His smirk practically confirms the notion all on its own. "Yeah, that does make sense. Instead of relying on Stab attacks to contribute to Fi-Fi's Chain Skills, the Princess can just use Basic Attacks thanks to the Prince of Stepping using those Elemental Prayers."

Knowing the nickname must correspond to himself, Hayato glances over to Clarisse as he says, "Prince of Stepping?"

"Yeah, I've seen you practicing your footwork with Fi-Fi; I'm told it's for Dance Oracle."

Pointing at herself, Gwenivere looks to Clarisse with a smile on her face as she asks, "Pray tell, Clarisse; what nickname have you assigned to me?"

"Two options. Either I call you 'Queen' or I call you 'BB', which is short for 'Baddest Bird'." She pushes her fingers together, only just now remembering Gwenivere's status as a noble. "Is that…acceptable?"

Gwenivere claps her hands together, her smile escalating into a look of elation. "Wonderful! I prefer 'BB', personally."

Clarisse exhales a sigh of relief, which causes Balto to chuckle. "That's a relief; didn't wanna offend." Looking to Cyrus, she says, "We could get you to swap Lissa into your place, too; you know, for when Evasion Tanking isn't up to the task."

He nods to this, looking to Lissa as he says, "Indeed. I have my limits, especially at present. Once our Promotions open up, I imagine our options will improve further." He looks to the sky in the distance; the sun sets beneath a line of trees, its glare diminished by the clouds in front of it. "We might want to take a break before starting the Third Stratum to rework our skill focus."

While swinging, Fae asks, "Doesn't your brain get tired from all that thinking, Uncle?"

"Sometimes, but it's worth the exhaustion."

Lissa scoffs at this, a smirk on her lips as Cyrus turns to grant her his attention. "That's certainly not how it looked this morning; you looked dead to the world." She then crosses her arms. "I keep telling you to take breaks; the Labyrinth isn't going anywhere, and I know you're in no hurry to get home." Her eyes suddenly shade into a leer as a thought crosses her mind. "Are you having nightmares here in our world now? Is that why you're avoiding sleep?"

He shakes his head to this, eliciting a look of mild surprise from Lissa. "I have no excuse, Lissa. This is just another relapse. I'm sorry…I'll work on improving."

"Don't…" She sighs; "Don't worry about it."

As Amy takes Fiona into her arms, she motions to dip her dance partner before looking to the others. "I took a look at the Promotion options for the Pugilist." She pulls Fiona back to a standing position before giving her a twirl. "I'll be able to put myself to the test and setup a single punch that I bet would be capable of defeating Stratum Bosses."

Fiona then takes to spinning around Amy before pulling her in close. "Will that not overtax your system?"

"I'm training to limit that very aspect." The two pull away from each other, joined together only by their locked fingers, but this, too, eventually falls to separation. Looking to Cyrus, she says, "I already know what you're thinking; I'll be fine."

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt; I'd be a hypocrite to do otherwise." A grin forms on his face as he follows, "Besides, it simply wouldn't do to have my little sister give me the silent treatment."

Amy crosses her arms and lets out a huff at the notion. "You'd have it coming. Are you planning to explore the tenth floor tonight?" Once he nods, she asks, "Are you sure you don't wanna wait until tomorrow?"

"We may not explore the place in its entirety; after all, Fae will be with us. I don't intend to push her too far."

Fae, now having achieved optimal height, propels herself from the swing; she lands right into Amy's arms, laughing to herself. "That was fun!" Looking to Cyrus, she says, "I'm OK with camping in the Labyrinth if everyone else is; we can clear the floor faster that way, right?"

Gwenivere frowns at this notion. "Fae, you need not push yourself to keep up with us."

"Uh huh, I know." She then jumps from Amy's grip so that she may walk over to Cyrus. She reaches up to him, silently asking to be picked up; he obliges, allowing her to sit on his shoulder. "I just wanna go camping." As she pats Cyrus on the head, she follows, "Getting to do the complicated stuff while I have fun is just a bonus for Uncle." She then laughs, ruffling Cyrus' already disheveled hair even further.

Gwenivere dons a dubious expression at this, though she eventually eases into her usual gentle gaze. "If it's OK with you, then I suppose I needn't have any qualms." She rises from the bench, adjusting her dress as she does so. "I can head out whenever the rest of you are ready."


	19. The Master of the Skies

**Chapter 19: The Master of the Skies**

The Chain Squad ascends to the tenth floor as the hour strikes 7PM. Of the paths available, of which there are three, the party elects to take the northern path first. A door lies just ahead of the staircase, so they proceed through it; Cyrus immediately regrets this decision, for the room beyond this door is a cliff side with no supporting walls. A deep chasm stretches far into the distance, with a depth to match. When the rest of the party looks to the leader, he is pressed up against what solid walls do exist. With much hesitation, and perhaps an unnecessarily great degree of exercised caution, the Seekers proceed forward.

After noting the location of a Chop Point, the party is beset by two enemies. One is a Jumping Caracal – standard fair for the party at this point – but the creature accompanying the feline is unlike anything the Seekers have ever seen before. The creature before them is a large gorilla sporting a black and yellow color scheme. Fae points to the creature and asks, "Is that a superhero or a super villain? I can't tell." Her question is by no means an odd one. The gorilla's design lends much credence to the notion. A membrane extends from its forearms, evoking the guise of wings or a cape. White fur rests around its neck, and a pair of black horns protrudes from its skull.

Looking at it, Hayato says, "It could be a vigilante."

Without commenting on his comrades missing the point of this creature, Cyrus draws his sword as he says, "It's not weak to anything, but we'll need to use Fire against it for the Conditional Drop. I'll try to blind it, so Fae – back me up." She is already pulling a Dark Bomb from her bag as he says this. "Be on guard, everyone!" His efforts to blind the giant ape are successful, allowing the rest of his party to dodge its attacks with impunity while fueling Fiona's use of Chain Flame. Curiously, the ape never once makes an effort to attack him, despite his presence being the closest at any given time.

Cyrus is not given long to dwell on this, for there are combat spoils to procure. From this beast, now known as a Chiroptekong, the party procures a giant humerus from the creature's arm, as well as an airsac that was burned during Fiona's assault. As she stores this with the party's belongings, she looks to Cyrus and says, "Are you learning this through the use of your eye or a Union Skill?"

"Both. My eye naturally denotes resistances, but the Union Skill reveals everything else. I just make educated guesses on Conditional Drop criteria based on the information I acquire." Around 8PM, while trekking through another cliff side, the party encounters another new enemy. The creature before them is a Spotted Hound, a species of dog quite similar to the Wild Dog of the Tutelary Forest. The creature rushes at Cyrus, trying to bring its fangs down on the man's weapon rather than his person. Cyrus jumps out of the way to avoid this. "Whoa, bad dog! It's weak to Ice; we can worry about the Volt Squirrel later!"

Just when the Spotted Hound is about to fall, it charges at Cyrus again; the impact isn't enough to knock him unconscious, but it is enough to send him rolling to the edge of the cliff. He drops his weapon, knowing that he's going to fall and needs to brace himself; in doing so, he grabs the ledge, from which he now dangles. Gwenivere's Icicle Lance fails to kill the Spotted Hound, but this proves to be to the party's benefit. With a boost from Ruinous Prayer, Fiona's use of Chain Freeze slays the creature, providing her with enough additional momentum to use Chain Burst to slay the Volt Squirrel in turn.

She rushes over to grab hold of Cyrus' hand just before he slips completely. Thanks to her rush of adrenaline, she is able to pull him to safety with just one arm. She finds herself reflexively sheathing her rapier so that she can hold on to her comrade properly. When Cyrus lets out a sigh of relief, he almost immediately has to gasp for air as Fiona crushes him in her embrace. "I almost lost you again…"

"F- Fiona, it's alright; I'm right here." She squeezes even tighter. "Fae…help…"

Fae quickly shuffles over, tapping Fiona's shoulder as she says, "Um, Fi-Fi? Uncle Cyrus can't breathe…and he's, um…really hurt." Fiona's eyes widen at this before she releases her hold of Cyrus. She turns him over to Fae so that the Botanist can get to work. "No stab wounds; I guess it was just a really strong tackle."

"Yeah, nothing was ruptured."

Fae takes a moment to clean some of the wounds Cyrus received during his violent rolling. She then grinds a few herbs into paste, which she then applies to those same minor scrapes. "There, do you feel better?"

He pats her on the head, to which she giggles. "Much better, Fae; thank you." He rises to his feet, looking to Fiona. "I'm sorry for that scare; that goes to all of you." He takes another look about the surrounding area, which causes him to shiver. "Let's take this as an important lesson; be mindful of your footing up here." Looking to the distance, he can see the collapsed form of an explorer. Straining his eyes, they suddenly widen. Without thinking, his body motions into a sprint on its own; his act of calling out Evelyn's name is all his party has to go off of in regards to knowing something is amiss.

Evelyn sits herself up, holding up a hand to reassure her concerned friend. "Hey, Cyrus. I'm alright; I just sprained my ankle." He wordlessly offers her a bottle of Medica II. As she accepts it, she takes notice of the wounds covering him. "Are you sure you won't need this more?"

"Lyn, don't be ridiculous. Which of us can walk right now?" She pouts at him for being so direct, but drinks the medicine all the same. In but a few moments, her sprain is healed, a notion she puts on display by rising to her feet. "Good, you'll be alright."

"Yes, thanks to you." She then hands him a dish sealed in plastic wrapping; the dish in question is an egg-in-a-basket. "I- well…" She blushes. "I made this; please take it as a token of my thanks."

He smiles. "Well, I'm certainly not one to refuse free food from pretty women; Mom taught me better than that." After storing the meal with the rest of his rations, he asks, "Do you require an escort? We can see you to Stacy and Melissa."

"Oh, no, they didn't get very far; I can catch up to them quickly. I appreciate it though, truly." She bows in gratitude before jogging away. The rest of the party can see the embarrassed look on her face as she passes by and waves at them, but they make no comment on the matter.

By the time 10PM rolls around, the party has looped around the mountainside to end up at a shortcut that leads back to the staircase descending to the ninth floor. The area is a spacious clearing, prompting the party to take a short break. Fae takes to working on more bombs while Fiona services her rapier; Hayato sits upon a flat rock as orbs of light circle around him, suggesting that he is communing with spirits. Gwenivere takes a seat beside Cyrus, resting her head upon his shoulder as a sigh escapes her. "I do not take kindly to these Spotted Hounds."

"Neither do I, Gwen."

She giggles, bringing herself just a bit closer to him. "Soon enough, I'll have you calling me that in front of everyone."

"Even though you wished for the name to remain between us?"

"Yes, that was the original intent, but the circumstances have changed. Pray tell, you've spent time thinking of our Promotions, yes?" He nods, to which she follows, "Do you intend to select our Promotions for us?"

"No, everyone is free to walk their own path; I'll simply fit what is chosen into our strategy. I take it that you have already decided which road you wish to travel?"

"Indeed. I shall walk as an Elemancer. It may surprise you to learn this, but I've always been rather jealous of your magical prowess. The power you command…I wished to wield it for myself."

"Is that why you had me teach you?" She nods, avoiding eye contact as an expression of shame overtakes her. "Even if you had been up front with your intentions, nothing would have changed."

"You would not think less of me for such greed?"

"You once said that an Overlord must serve as an exemplary of her subjects; in your eyes, as well as the eyes of Overlord Ginger, this means being the envy of all." He looks to her, disappointed that she still refrains from making eye contact; "Your swordplay must surpass all others; you must rage the hardest; laugh the loudest; and even enjoy life more than any other." He chuckles, resting his head upon hers. "It's only logical that you'd seek to wield magic with greater skill than I possess. 'Twas a foregone conclusion, I dare say."

"You are much too lenient, darling; it is that very leniency that gave me agency to take advantage of you in the past."

"We weren't married back then."

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I had sworn my life to you; technically speaking, you were free to do much worse."

"But that doesn't make such things acceptable." She wraps her arms around herself, her shamed expression converting into one of distress. "I understand why you're like this, but it has never sat well with me. The thought that…that you would have ended your life had we not met that day…it keeps me up at night." She looks to him, her expression now solemn and apologetic. "In our early years, I was easily intoxicated by the power I held over you; I can't even begin to imagine how far I might have gone had you revealed such information to me sooner than you did."

He shrugs. "No sense in dwelling on it." Gwenivere is taken aback by this, to which Cyrus can only sigh. "I wasn't particularly bothered back then; I had my own reasons for meeting your outlandish demands. Even though they were detrimental to my health, they furthered my goals, which I deemed more pertinent."

"You can be so difficult to understand at times."

"I thank you for putting up with me, my liege."

Fae then jumps into view, wrapping her arms around Cyrus' chest as she clings to his back. "'Hopeless' is a good word for it." She then giggles, which brings a smile to her comrades' faces. The party sets off after this, returning to their explorations. As they draw closer to a door that leads south, Fae points to the map to direct everyone's attention at the FOE markers. "Are there really giraffes up here? Isn't it super dangerous to run around like that?"

Hayato looks to Cyrus and asks, "You don't think we'll have to solve a puzzle by making a giraffe charge off a cliff, do you?"

Gwenivere balks at the notion, the disgust of her expression perfectly translating over to her voice. "Dear gods, I certainly hope not." The area beyond this door appears to be a secured canyon, allowing the giraffes the freedom of charging. Sighing in relief, Gwenivere takes a cloth to wipe the sweat from her brow. "What a relie-" she then realizes that a Glaring Stinger is in this canyon, and that its placement is quite inconvenient. "Well I never." A plan occurs to her; ' _Yes, use the giraffes to our advantage; of course…_ ' This soon turns into her baiting the Glaring Stinger to approach the party, placing it directly in the path of the giraffe. Much to her dismay, her abject horror, even, the giraffe ceases its charge without crushing the Glaring Stinger. "Are you serious?!" Cyrus and Fiona lead her by the hand as the party leaves the room.

Hayato crosses his arms, frowning at the notion. "I thought it was a good plan."

Looking to the door, Fiona says, "We should use the Glaring Stinger instead of the giraffes. If the Bucking Giraffe won't trample the creature, we can just use the Glaring Stinger as a barrier while we make our way through the canyon."

Fae shivers at the idea. "Y- You mean let the scary scorpion chase us? D- Do we have to?" Cyrus picks her up, letting her sit upon his shoulder. Looking to him, she asks, "Do we have to?"

"I'm the fastest runner we have, Fae; you'll be safe with me." The party steps back into the room to execute Fiona's plan. True to form, both of the giraffes are quite patient with the Glaring Stinger as it chases the party through the canyon. The area in question proves to be quite larger than the party initially assumed, for they don't make it to the door leading out of this area until the hour strikes midnight. Letting out a sigh of relief, Cyrus sets Fae onto the ground. "I admit, that was scarier than it needed to be."

"Please tell me we won't have to do that again…"

Pushing the next door open, Hayato says, "Here's hoping." Stepping inside, he can see an Impeding Tengu lingering dangerously close to a pillar. Hayato's face contorts into a standard frown, shortly followed by intense rage. "I hate everything." When the tengu proves to be the fastest and knocks the pillar down, Hayato draws his bow. "Insufferable cur! I will stuff you with cotton!" Fiona takes him into her arms and starts running along with the rest of the party. "Set me down! I will make him suffer!"

Unfortunately, there is a Glaring Stinger present in this room as well, and it takes notice of the Seekers as they try to evade the Impeding Tengu. The party is ultimately trapped in a corner, leaving them no choice but to warp out using an Ariadne Thread. The night is deemed a failure; instead of returning to the Labyrinth to try again, the party turns in for a night of proper rest. When morning comes, they return to this location; en route, Fae was quite displeased with having to deal with the pursuit of the Glaring Stinger in the previous canyon.

The Impeding Tengu draws dangerously close as the Seekers wait for the Glaring Stinger to turn its back to them. What follows is a mad dash to the door located at the end of this expanse. With that wretched room behind them, the party continues forward. They are soon stopped by the sight of unnaturally scattered boulders, all of which are of varying sizes. Fiona groans at this. "Come on, now what?" Looking up, she can see a high cliff; "They probably fell from there. Let's take it slow, everyone; no need to let the edge make us reckless."

While doing so, Cyrus spots a seven-horned beetle. He and Fae work to capture the beetle, granting it a new home in the form of a homemade cage. No rockslides occur, granting the party safe passage. A door rests to the east, while a Take Point and a shortcut leading to the floor's start lie to the west. Stepping through the door, the party is greeted by another Bucking Giraffe, though the structure of the rocky passage prevents the two from crossing paths proper. In the party's efforts to scope out this new area, an Impeding Tengu drops a pillar near them.

Cyrus' eyes widen at this. Looking at the map, he realizes, "Bugger me; that was a tengu, not a scorpion!" The party draws the attention of the tengu, carefully staying out of the giraffe's charging space. As they run the Impeding Tengu around a structure in a circle, they make one additional attempt to see if the giraffe will charge into the tengu. Not only does this not happen, the giraffe also outright leaps over the tengu in its path. ' _What kind of horse shit…_ ' There is no time to rage at this notion proper, so the Seekers make way for the door awaiting them at the end of the path.

By 2PM, the party has traversed a slew of rocky paths that led to dead ends. Before them now is a door, though they elect to refrain from opening it for a moment. Looking to the map, Fae says, "We still have a long way to go, huh?"

Fiona looks to this with a furrowed brow. "It depends on how large the Stratum Boss' domain is." Upon opening the door to the next room, she is taken aback by how expansive it is. She looks back to Cyrus, whose blank stare tells her everything she needs to know. "I really don't envy you, Cyrus."

"I wouldn't either." He looks to the right to see a trio of the Spotted Hounds. "Sweet, luscious thighs of the Scarlet Dragoon; that is horrific, abhorrent even. We are not doing this."

The room is promptly abandoned, leaving the Seekers to travel through the door that lies to the west. A door lies to the south within this new room; though there are other paths to take, the Seekers decide to proceed through this tucked away door. They eventually reach a spacious hall; it hosts the final shortcut leading to the floor's entrance, as well as a door leading north. At this door, Lili and Solor stand as a pair. The former looks to the party with her usual smile, while the latter gives her usual indifferent gaze.

"Hello, everybody! Been awhile, huh?" She can feel negative emotions emanating from the party's members, including Fae, which causes her to don a concerned countenance. "Oh dear, are you all OK?"

Cyrus is the first to answer, though his reply isn't entirely convincing. "We have grown to hate Spotted Hounds, Lili."

Solor shakes her head at this, looking to Lili as she says, "I told you those things were bad news."

"But they're cute!"

"Teddy bears are cute; those mutts are just plain nasty."

"You just can't see it, Solor." Her eyes brighten upon realizing, "Oh, this is the first time we're all together, isn't it?" She grabs hold of Solor's arm and pulls her a bit closer. Solor doesn't react to this, nor does she try to pull away. "Solor and I are kind of a duo; like our own, two-girl Guild." She giggles at the notion.

' _I'm getting Ren & Tlachtga vibes. These are not good vibes to be having._'

"We're kinda stuck together, really; we've been a twosome since before we started exploring Yggdrasil." Her tone then changes abruptly, as if she's trying to keep her own emotions in line. "Look, none of that even matters!" Looking to the Seekers, she follows, "All you need to worry about is the rest of this floor. I mean, it's not like it matters to us what happens to you…"

' _Am I detecting tsun? My tsun radar has been triggered._ '

Lili reprimands Solor for the comment. "Oh would you stop; of course their lives matter! They're our new friends; I'd hate to lose them so quickly. Besides, they don't deserve that kind of fate; no one does." She looks to the Seekers, her sweet expression returning. "We have a favor to ask; would you mind returning to town, please?"

"You can't go any farther without the Council's permission. That should tell you everything you need to know about what's ahead."

To her surprise, as well as Lili's, Cyrus lets out a cheer. "Finally, the Stratum Boss, something easy."

Solor points to Cyrus, directing her attention to the rest of his party. "Is he sane? Has the heat gotten to him?"

Fiona waves her hand dismissively at this. "No, no, this is normal. You see, devising strategies to handle Stratum Bosses is what Cyrus does best. It can be argued that, among all of the challenges an Yggdrasil Labyrinth can offer, the Stratum Bosses are among the easiest for the Seekers to deal with." She chuckles, an awkward smile on her face as she scratches at her cheek. "That said, our biggest challenge usually comes from having to deal with egregious Enemy Sets. We usually can't cover every weakness we have, at least not with this party."

Chiming in, Hayato says, "In this case, our weakness lies with Ailment selection and a complete lack of Binds."

Fae pouts, crossing her arms as she says, "I think it's really dumb that those Spotted Hounds resist Blind; that's really dumb."

Regardless of their complaints, the Seekers comply with the duo and warp out after unlocking the shortcut. Upon stepping into the Council Hall, they approach Prince Ramus. "Hello, Seekers; we meet again. You all look well, which pleases me; how may I help you, today?" Upon hearing Cyrus' inquiry about any new missions, a soft smile forms on Ramus' face. "I see, so you've made it to the end of the Jagged Reach. This is most fortuitous for us among the Council." He grabs a book, placing it upon a desk that he directs the Seekers to. Within are pictures and explanations concerning the various promotions that the party has been working toward.

Cyrus smiles in turn as he says, "So Promotions come directly from the blessing of the Council."

"Indeed. Once explorers reach a certain level of expertise, they can earn the title of 'Master'. As the name implies, the Council recognizes Masters as experts and grants them access to new Skills. We are currently using the tenth floor as a means to test those who would prove themselves worthy."

Fiona nods to this. "The Third Stratum is undoubtedly too dangerous for novices to explore; it makes sense to only allow those who have been promoted to progress any further."

"To that end, I believe you are all ready for the exam. You are tasked with slaying the Hippogryph, a creature that lords over the Jagged Reach; you may have seen it soaring through the skies during your travels. It is a vicious creature, sporting a sharp beak and dreadful talons; it is known to attack anyone who approaches it, so proceed with caution." He can feel the excitement radiating from Cyrus' form in spite of the neutral expression he wears. "You seem eager, Cyrus."

"Stratum Bosses are my favorite challenges among Yggdrasil. My anticipation is only compounded by the offer of new Skills awaiting us."

"I see. Then by all means, don't let me keep you; I wish you all the best of luck out there."

The party departs from the Council Hall, making way for the Labyrinth once more. En route, Cyrus hands a Luck Necklace over to Gwenivere. "You'll be needing this; Chain Blast's success is imperative to how smoothly this goes."

"How can you be so certain?"

"I have faced my fair share of bird-like Stratum Bosses before; the most important Binds to land are typically Head and Arm Bind, but since we're dealing with some sort of gryphon, I imagine all three are going to behoove us."

Her face adopts a look of concern, though it is more arguable that what she currently displays is fear. "Are you certain that you wish to bank on such a tactic? My last use of Chain Blast was an absolute disaster."

Raising a finger, Fae says, "That only happened because the FOE was resistant to all Binds." When she sees that Fiona and Cyrus are nodding in agreement, she follows, "I don't think the Hippogryph will be like that…"

Clutching at the necklace, Gwenivere takes a moment to compose herself. She takes in a deep breath and then exhales before looking to the others. "I will not fail again." She nods in affirmation, though it is more for her own assurance. ' _A leader does not falter, Gwenivere. Your subjects must be able to look to you for inspiration._ '

When they arrive at the tenth floor, Solor and Lili are close to the staircase, suggesting that they were anticipating the Seekers' arrival. As if to confirm this, Lili says, "I had a feeling you guys would be back pretty soon."

"The Hippogryph is pretty damn tough; you'd best go in there prepared if you don't wanna wind up dead." She then takes her leave, heading towards the staircase. Lili rushes to catch up with her partner, hastily bidding the Seekers good luck with their upcoming encounter. Upon arriving at the door leading to the Hippogryph's lair, the party performs one final check to ensure that all of their gear is ready for combat.

Cyrus pushes the door open once his comrades voice that their preparations are complete. Stepping inside, they are treated to a small clearing that funnels into a narrow passage. This passage leads to a much larger open area that lacks any sort of walls to both its west and east. To the north is another passage that seems to stretch for a considerable distance. "I imagine the ascending staircase is beyond that passage."

Before the party can travel down this passage to confirm Cyrus' suspicion, an air-splitting cry sounds through the air. Its owner soon comes into view, revealing itself to be some sort of giant creature that is a hawk mixed with a horse. The creature's plumage is primarily yellow in color, with black and red accents to grant it an imposing visage. This strikes the party as largely unnecessary, for the creature's physique handles this task in its own respectable capacity. Much like the Owl Beast of the Tutelary Forest, this creature's wings have evolved to serve as human-like arms. Its fists are arguably more imposing. Worse still, this creature is fully capable of flight, which it demonstrates by circling around the canyon before landing right in the path of the Seekers.

Drawing her rapier, Fiona looks to Cyrus and asks, "Got our info?"

"It's weak to Volt, and yet…it makes use of Volt attacks in its own right. Peculiar." Looking to Gwenivere, he follows, "It's weak to Head Bind, which will improve the damage of your spells." He turns his attention back to the Hippogryph, which patiently stands firm as it waits for the party to approach it. "Fae, you and I will need to work overtime to inflict Blind in the event Arm Bind doesn't stick." Looking to Hayato, he says, "Forego the Bolt Prayer; Ruinous Prayer will be more important at the start." He draws his sword, taking a step forward. "Seekers, let's get this done."

With the battle set to begin, the Hippogryph roars to the party and motions to charge. Gwenivere responds by siphoning a portion of her comrades' strength to conjure an orb of energy that she hurls at the creature. Unlike the Glaring Stinger that came before, the Hippogryph is unable to resist the effects of Chain Blast, and finds its head and arms not functioning as they normally would. It is momentarily occupied with assessing its current predicament, granting the party a moment to setup buffs.

With Amplifier set, as well as the Ruinous Prayer, Gwenivere falls back to the rear line with Fae and Hayato. Fae grabs hold of a Dark Bomb, waiting for her moment to throw it at the Hippogryph. Cyrus charges ahead of everyone else, jumping onto the Hippogryph's arm as it throws a sluggish punch. He uses this mistake to his advantage, and manages to stab into one of the creature's eyes. Fiona practically teleports to her comrade's side and performs a follow-up thrust aimed at the creature's neck. Fae throws the Dark Bomb, enveloping the Hippogryph in its debilitative effects while Cyrus and Fiona make a retreat.

The Hippogryph is left defenseless as the party assaults it with a bombardment of attacks. It eventually adjusts to the fact that it only has one working eye, and even manages to avoid Cyrus' efforts to stab out the other. Its arms remain sealed, preventing it from taking flight. Realizing this, the creature elects to hold its ground as it assumes a defensive stance. Its arms prove to be quite resilient during this time, and it seems to be gradually recovering its strength.

"Fae, throw out another Dark Bomb; your last one is about to fizzle out."

"I'll throw out another Smokeblight too!"

"Milady, reinstate Amplifier; the Hippogryph is too focused on defense. Lord Hayato, we're supporting Fiona to mitigate some of that healing!"

Their minor assault is not enough to shatter the Hippogryph's guard, allowing it to heal off some of the damage that has been dealt to it. Worse still, its arms are fully functional again, though there is some luck on the Seekers' side as Cyrus manages to stab out the creature's remaining eye. Despite this, Cyrus calls for everyone to take a defensive stance. His call proves to be the correct one, for the Hippogryph takes to the skies, far beyond the clouds. In but a blink, it is suddenly upon them, lashing out with its imposing claws. Fae and Gwenivere manage to avoid the assault, but Cyrus, Fiona, and Hayato suffer considerable damage.

Fiona, feeling a decrease in her offensive potential, looks to Hayato and shouts, "You'll need to call for the Ruinous Prayer again!" He voices his assent to this, and draws upon the spiritual card immediately. The Hippogryph throws up its guard again, but the party is more prepared than it was before. Gwenivere is able to lend assistance, allowing the party to shatter this guard in a single bout. The party grows fearful as the Hippogryph abandons all notion of caution and attempts another Sky Dive immediately after its guard is dropped.

No one was prepared to defend themselves, but they are fortunate in that the creature misses its attack completely. It throws it guard up again, though the party suspects that this will be its final opportunity to do so. This suspicion proves true, for shortly after Fiona delivers another electric thrust, Gwenivere summons a bolt of lightning; the lightning strike not only breaks the Hippogryph's defensive stance, it outright slays the creature as well. The beast gives one last cry before falling to the ground.

Cyrus and Fiona fall to the ground in turn, resting their backs to the other as the exhaustion overtakes them. Cyrus lets out a laugh, one that Fiona recognizes as one of his reflexive responses to narrowly avoided mishaps. "We really lucked out with that last Sky Dive missing us."

"Indeed. I never expected the Hippogryph to act so recklessly." She looks to the others as she says, "You all performed admirably; I couldn't have done that without you." She looks to Gwenivere specifically, a smile on her face. "I had faith in your abilities; I knew you wouldn't disappoint."

Gwenivere remains silent for a moment before nodding. A smile forms on her face in turn as she replies, "Thank you, Dame Fiona; your trust means more than you realize." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "You really pushed yourself in this encounter." She steps over, resting his arm on her farthest shoulder as she helps him to his feet. "Honestly, you look ready to collapse at any given moment."

He chuckles at this, unable to hide his pale countenance. "Your legs are shaking, Gwen." A blush forms on her face, though he cannot be certain if it's a result of him speaking her nickname in front of the others so freely, or a result of him pointing out an unnecessary detail. Regardless, Cyrus lets out another laugh. "Since we didn't actually finish mapping this floor, let's turn in our report to Prince Ramus and finish up the map, shall we?" The party is in agreement, and departs from Yggdrasil using an Ariadne Thread.


	20. Remembering the Names Passed Down

**Chapter 20: Remembering the Names Passed Down**

Upon warping back to Iorys, the party is met by both Solor and Lili. The latter of the two looks ecstatic to see the party still alive, albeit not necessarily in the best of shape. Solor stands with her arms crossed, suggesting that Lili forced her to stick around the Seven Hills Plaza specifically to wait for the Seekers to return. Solor lets out a huff, poking Lili in the cheek as she says, "I told you they were gonna be fine; waiting here was such a waste."

"Don't pretend to be indifferent." She balls her hands into fists, bringing them close to her chest as she looks up to Solor. "You were worried, too!" Solor frowns at this, and takes to poking Lili's nose instead. "You know I'm right!" A weak chuckle escapes Cyrus as he apologizes for making the duo worry. Naturally, Solor denies her own worries with great fervor. "Solor aside, I'm glad you're all OK."

"You don't look injured…" The party then recounts their battle with the Hippogryph, revealing the spot of trouble they found themselves in when Sky Dive managed to strike Cyrus, Fiona, and Hayato. "Ah, so you did sustain some injuries. That said, the bulk of your weariness comes from your abuse of your Skills?" Fiona nods to this, explaining that circumstances forced the three damage dealers of the group to act without restraint. Looking to Cyrus, Solor says, "Mr. Stabdaddy over there got the worst of it; you got a frail constitution or something?"

"Actually, yes, yes I d- wait, what did you call me?"

She smirks, repeating the name. "Mr. Stabdaddy. What else am I supposed to call someone who constantly uses Optic Thrust like it's going out of style?" She snickers. "You should make that your title. Cyrus 'Stabdaddy' Coelistis, the Fencer."

"I don't think I like that name…"

"Is that right?"

"Cyrus, you really shouldn't have said that; now she's going to keep using that name."

"It's as Lili says, but I'll let you go for now. Seekers, you and Stabdaddy go get some rest."

Rather than return to Jenetta's Inn, the party makes way for the Council Hall. Here, they find Ramus, who looks delighted to see them. He quickly makes his way over, likely intending to ask about the party's encounter with the Hippogryph. Fiona presents the creature's wing paw, which serves as the party's only combat spoil. "Excellent. You have vanquished the Hippogryph. Congratulations, Seekers; you are all now recognized as Masters." He then hands the Guild's leader a bag containing 6000 ental, which causes the recipient to recoil. Ramus chuckles at this. "'Tis a small price, Cyrus; please, accept it."

Cyrus nods as he says, "Thank you, Prince Ramus; we are most grateful."

"Think nothing of it. Now, I must warn you all that the Third Stratum is shrouded in mystery; only a few Masters have braved what lies within. Have you already taken a peek?"

Fiona shakes her head. "We expended far too much energy battling the Hippogryph to chance a cursory glance of the next Stratum." She then glances at Cyrus, a smirk forming on her lips as she rests a hand on her hip. "That aside, our leader didn't feel right moving on to the next floor without first finishing our current obstacle." Looking to Ramus, she asks, "Is there anything you can tell us about the Third Stratum?"

"Certainly. By the account of the Masters who have traversed it, the land there is the twisted and warped remains of an ancient battlefield." The party reels back at the notion. "My initial reaction was similar. I imagine the Third Stratum is where many soldiers facing the Despot met their ends. Countless lives lost from both sides…all resting in a now twisted grave." He shakes his head, ridding his mind of the thought. "Please, never mind that. Be careful as you explore; be sure to stop by the Explorers Guild to speak with Lord Egar; he will assist you with the necessary paperwork."

The party bids the prince farewell, and elects to make way for the Explorers Guild immediately. Fiona sighs as they reach the entrance of the building, looking to Cyrus as she says, "I'll be counting on you, Cyrus."

"Ah yes, paperwork – your mortal enemy; my wife Leslie can relate." They step inside, with Cyrus holding his arm up to greet Egar. "Greetings, Guildmaster. Is now a bad time?"

"Not at all; I've been expecting you, members of Seekers. You are now Masters, yes?" The entire party exchanges confused glances, which causes Egar to chuckle. "None of us had any doubt of your ability to slay the Hippogryph; the paperwork was prepared in advance by order of the prince, in fact. As Masters, you have earned the right to an epithet – a Legendary Title. You are free to choose whatever name you like – Fire Slinger, Zap Queen, Stabdaddy – whatever you like." Everyone looks to Cyrus after hearing the final name. "Solor suggested it to Cyrus, didn't she?"

"Just so we're clear, Guildmaster, I will not be running with that name."

"That is fine with me. Personally, I'm still collecting myself after this one Chain Duelist Fencer decided to call himself 'The Thrusting King'." Fiona and Cyrus stare at him with blank expressions. "Yes, I responded in much the same way. Have you all chosen your intended paths?"

Fae looks to him and says, "I- I'm gonna be a Graced Poisoner, but I don't have a name in mind." She looks to Hayato, who appears to be thinking hard on his decision. "I think the prince and I will let the others go first…" She then walks over to Hayato, though she says nothing to avoid breaking his concentration.

Cyrus steps forward. "I shall walk the path of the Phantom Duelist. My title…'Runic Gale'."

Fiona is the next to step forward. "I will walk as a Chain Duelist. I should like to be called the 'Endless Tempest'."

Gwenivere takes her place between the two, smiling softly as she says, "I shall take to honing my skills as an Elemancer; you may refer to me as the 'Arcane Overlord'." Cyrus glances at her, smirking in his silence. "Not a word out of you, darling; I have waited for such a title my entire life."

Fae walks over, taking her place in-between Cyrus and Gwenivere. "Guildmaster! I'm gonna be a Graced Poisoner; call me…um, the 'Angelic Bomber'."

A few minutes pass in silence before Hayato takes his place among his comrades. "I…I have decided. I will walk as a Divine Herald. I shall be known as…the 'Spirit Walker'."

The Guildmaster nods to this. "Very well." He removes an orb from a bag and channels energy into it. In response, the orb fires beams of light into the chests of the Seekers, imbuing them with a surge of power. When the beams disperse, Egar places the orb into the bag. "It has been decided. Congratulations, Seekers; I look forward to seeing how you utilize this newfound power. Go forth, and may luck be with you during your travels." Just as the party turns to depart, a thought occurs to him. "Oh, a moment; I had almost forgotten to give you these." He then hands the party a collection of five books. "Take these to the Celestrian scholar at the tavern; he'll have more information for you there."

The party thanks Egar for his assistance and departs, at last heading to Jenetta's Inn. The innkeeper is delighted to see the party has returned to her safely. Curiously, Mr. Friedrich appears pleased as well, for he rushes over to Fae, giving a single meow as he beckons to be taken into her arms. The girl complies, allowing the cat to nuzzle his cheek against hers as he purrs. She giggles at this. "Aw, I missed you, too, Mr. Friedrich." She sets the cat onto the floor, where he wags his tail as he looks up to her. "Guess what? We're Masters now!"

Friedrich looks to Cyrus, giving a confused meow. "Are those titles?"

Cyrus nods. "That is correct, Mr. Friedrich; curiously, being granted these titles also required a ritual to unlock our inner potential."

Jenetta brings her hands together, her expression beaming as she says, "That's amazing! Congratulations, everyone~" Clarisse and Balto step downstairs, prompting Jenetta to grant the duo her attention. "Ah, Clarisse, have you heard the news?"

"They're Masters now, right? Our entire Guild is recognized?" Jenetta nods, to which Clarisse smirks as she looks to Cyrus. "Wish I could have been there for the fight with the Hippogryph." She then notices how tired the party looks. "On second thought…I take that back." She then crouches down to rub Balto's head. "Wouldn't want my precious puppy getting hurt, now would I?"

"Mistress, stop; not in front of our friends." As if to spite him, Clarisse then takes to nuzzling her cheek against his. Balto lets out a whine in response. "You should listen to your elders…"

"Would you all like a meal, or do you plan on taking a rest?"

Hayato looks to his comrades and says, "Yeah…I think we should all take a nap; I'm surprised Cyrus and Fiona can still move." He then points to Fiona specifically. "Especially you, Fiona, what with all of the teleporting you were doing. That had to have taken a lot out of you."

"Young prince, you forget that I'm used to this sort of exertion; a lingering benefit from my time as a Hoplite." She then looks to Cyrus. "Now, our leader? He doesn't usually play so many roles on the battlefield. His mind must be as taxed as his body."

Fae takes hold of Gwenivere's hand, forcefully pulling her ally along so that she may grab hold of Cyrus' in turn. "Fi-Fi's right, so off to bed you two go!" The two aren't even given a chance to protest as she leads them towards the stairs. When Fae realizes that Fiona isn't following them, she looks back and adopts the fiercest glare she can muster; unfortunately, it comes across as an adorable pout instead. "You too, Fi-Fi!" As she looks to Hayato, her expression softens into her usual smile. "Prince, can you help me get them to bed?"

"Uh…sure thing, Fae." It doesn't take long for these two to escort their comrades, though Hayato is surprised to see Fae pulling out some sort of tome. He steps closer to get a good look at it, and then realizes, "Wait, are you seriously going to read them a bedtime story?"

"Uh huh."

"Fae, they're adults; that's not gonna work."

"But everyone loves this story; it's the one about the Earthlain princess who falls in love with a Brouni knight in training, and then runs away with him."

In response to this, Gwenivere dons a wide smile as she snuggles up to Cyrus. Pulling up the covers ever so slightly, she says, "A tale of forbidden romance? I absolutely adore such stories."

Fiona has taken to resting her head on Cyrus' chest as she says, "I am fond of this story as well. My parents would take turns reading the lines of the princess and knight."

A thought then occurs to Hayato. "Wait, surely you don't expect me t-" His eyes then shift to the left to see Fae staring at him with sparkling eyes. ' _It's too late; I can't back out now…_ ' He sighs. "Very well, but know I only do this to keep my subjects happy."

Fae then wraps her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Aw, thanks, Prince!" The two work together to tell the tale, with Fiona giving in to her exhaustion roughly half-way through. Gwenivere awaits each turning page with abated breaths, enthralled by the struggles of the love-struck princess as she fights her way through courtly intrigue.

As he dozes off, Cyrus can only think to himself, ' _This story strikes me as being a bit too heavy for a children's bedtime story…_ ' He quickly forgets this as Fae's voice pulls him back into the tale; the Brouni knight has been tricked into entering a barn, which is then sealed off by the nobles opposed to his love for the princess. The barn is then set ablaze; the nobles are convinced that escape is impossible. "No, Sir Henson!" He falls asleep shortly after Sir Henson makes a narrow escape, barely avoiding a gruesome death of being crushed and burned to death; presumably, the ease of Cyrus' tension was enough for him to give in to his exhaustion.

Gwenivere, in contrast, stays awake throughout the entire story, for the lack of knowing the ending leaves her restless. When Fae and Hayato read the incredibly short epilogue detailing the happy aftermath Sir Henson and Princess Julia share, Gwenivere sighs in relief, and finally lays her head down to slumber. Fae puts the book away, and then takes Hayato by the hand as she leads him out of the room. As she closes the door, she looks to him and says, "That went well."

"Yeah, I'm surprised. I guess some adults want to go back to being kids. Aren't you tired, too?"

"Not really; I didn't do a whole lot in the fight." She smiles at him as she follows, "I'm gonna go work on new bombs for us to use; wanna help?" Hayato agrees to this, prompting Fae to take him by the hand again so that she may lead him to the garden behind the inn. Here, Jenetta has fences setup to separate the various items she's growing. Off to the side is a section of various herbs, which Fae walks over to. After searching around for a few moments, she picks a particular herb and shows it to Hayato. "This is the Passionflower. I was taught how to turn it into medicine for people with anxiety problems, but I think I've thought of a way to use it to cause monsters to panic."

"When, by chance, did you do this?"

"While you and the others were doing that quest to help Mr. Thadius make a wedding dress. I was bored."

' _This girl is going to be very dangerous when she grows up._ '

Fae then fidgets in place as she asks, "D- Do you think the others will be happy? Is this useful?"

"Huh? Yes, definitely so, Fae; I'm certainly impressed with you."

"R- Really?"

"Of course. You really kept it together when we were fighting the Hippogryph; oh, and that first encounter with the Prancing Parrot, back when Cyrus was unexpectedly knocked unconscious? Things would have gone a lot worse if you hadn't stepped in."

"B- But I told you before…I was acting without thinking."

"I think that makes it more impressive. I would have just panicked." He looks around the garden to see many more herbs growing in the area. "Is it really alright for you to pick these?"

"Uh huh; Ms. Jenetta gave me permission." She then points to a few different plots, all of which are marked with her own hand-writing. "She even gave me some space to grow my own; she's so nice."

"I've been meaning to ask…how come you didn't focus on being a healer?"

She frowns at this. "Being a nurse or doctor is really complicated. I get really scared when I think about how, when I grow up, I might mess up an operation and get someone badly hurt…maybe even killed." She shakes her head in an attempt to be rid of the thought; though the notion still lingers, she maintains her composure as she says, "It's so much easier to make bombs that'll keep monsters away; then you don't have to mess with injuries at all. I really like making things, too, so I'm having fun."

"I can't argue with the results. Those dark smoke bombs have saved us more times than I can count."

"Can I ask you a question, Prince?" He nods, giving her an encouraging smile. "Do you ever get scared; I mean, when you remember the Guild we're in?"

"Being an explorer means facing danger at all times, Fae. The Seekers certainly face more of it at a faster pace than others, but I can rest easy at night knowing you guys are my comrades. Cyrus can be pretty weird, and I admit to being really worried about you since you're so young, but…" he nods to himself, smiling as he says, "I put those fears to rest knowing that you all are dependable." He can see that her expression is no less distraught, even in light of his words. "Is there something specific that scares you?"

"It's…it's Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Gwen. They're like different people when we're fighting monsters."

"Huh? You think so?" She nods. "I haven't really noticed; Lady Gwenivere gets pretty scary in battle when she's upset, but she also gets like that whenever she talks about her ideals."

"I guess you have to be close to him to see it. I don't know how to explain it, but…" she takes to pushing her fingers together as she follows, "It's the way he ignores his wounds."

"Ah, I understand what you mean; it's like he doesn't recognize that he's in pain."

"It's not just that. Wouldn't you take a step back from the monster that nearly killed you? I would, but Uncle just…charges back in like nothing happened." She wraps her arms around herself, shivering. "Sometimes…sometimes I get worried that I'll have to be that way in the future. I don't think I can do that, Prince, so won't I just get in the way?" Hayato shakes his head to this. "Huh?"

"Cyrus only gets that way because he's the leader; we'd all lose morale if he didn't show confidence. Seeing him fearlessly – perhaps recklessly – continue fighting despite knowing he's liable to get injured…it's inspiring; it reminds me of the stories my mother once told me of my father during his time as a soldier." He smiles at her, patting her shoulder as he says, "You don't need to worry; he acts that way so that the rest of us don't have to."

Fae falls silent at the notion, looking towards the garden around her. "Do you think he ever gets lonely because of that?" Hayato motions to reply, only to fall silent when he realizes that he doesn't actually have a response to give. "I- I don't really like that kind of pressure…"

"I never really thought of it that way before." He takes a moment to think it over, soon coming to a realization. "Maybe that's why my mother constantly reminds father of his allies." He grabs hold of Fae's hand, causing a look of confusion to take over the girl's expression. "You've given me much to think about, and for that, I thank you; let's go work on those new bombs of yours."

"U- Um, OK!" The two work on Fae's new creation for several hours, though it can be said that Hayato spent the majority of this time having Fae explain the nuances of her craft to him. By the time the hour strikes 3PM, not only has she managed to sort her bomb supply to include the new Chaos Bomb, but she has also found a means of improving the efficacy of her Skills and how quickly she can throw them at the enemies. The remaining trio of the Chain Squad steps downstairs around this time, prompting her to run over to hug Gwenivere. "Did you all sleep well?"

Gwenivere squeezes the child in her arms. "My nap was quite wonderful, dear; thank you ever so much for the lovely bedtime story."

Fiona wipes her eyes, letting out a yawn before asking, "Did you and Hayato get any sleep?"

Fae shakes her head, as does Hayato. The former then goes on to say, "Prince Hayato helped me make a new bomb; I can make monsters panic now." In response to this news, Gwenivere holds her up and nuzzles their cheeks together. Fae giggles at this; "Stop, Aunt Gwen; that tickles!" Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Is it OK if we finish the tenth floor today? We might be able to finish before night falls, right?"

"Yes, that would be acceptable; Fiona and Milady are in much better shape now, as am I." He then takes a seat at one of the tables in the dining room. "Before that, though, we should figure out our new skill focus." When the rest of his party sits at the table in turn, he looks to Fae, Gwenivere, and Hayato. "The three of you need not change anything." He chuckles, closing his eyes as he nods. "Our Angelic Bomber has already chosen a suitable progression without guidance." She blushes at this, but says nothing, instead looking down to hide her face.

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere says, "I'll be making use of this Skill known as Clever Strike. I have also learned how to use wind magic to a greater degree in this world, allowing me to cast Levitation."

Hayato smiles at this, noting that, "This will make it easier to get the drop on our enemies."

Fiona nods, though her expression becomes solemn. "Perhaps even more crucial is that spell's ability to invalidate dangerous portions of the Labyrinth's traversable ground." As her attention falls on Cyrus, she asks, "You and I must change our focus substantially, yes?"

"Indeed. You won't need to invest so heavily in Chain Shock, at least not for awhile. I apologize for putting that much onus on you for just one battle."

"You worry too much. I'll work on improving what I have. All of that practice with Chain Burst has given me an idea of how I might be able to double up on individual Chain strikes, which would take some of the heat off the rest of you." Her expression then shifts to show concern; looking to Cyrus, she frowns as she says, "Please tell me you're not going to run Lightweight." He shakes his head, which doesn't immediately register. "Cyrus, we can't risk losing y- wait, what?"

"Lightweight is a great risk in this world; I could get away with it in Erdboden, but I'll need time to make it effective here. In the meantime, I'll focus on replacing Predict with Deft Thrust." He sighs, resting his head in his hand as his elbow is placed onto the table. "We don't handle AoEs well, which is why I need a means of baiting the enemy into focusing on me with single-target attacks."

Hayato summons a red card featuring a clock on both sides. "I can improve everyone's evasion with this new Skill – it's known as the Haste Prayer, though I admit that it takes a lot out of me, almost as much as the Elemental Prayers." He rises from his chair, taking a moment to stretch before asking, "Should we get going?" The party's preparations are brief, allowing them to return to the tenth floor with little time lost.

The sun is still high in the sky at this time, making this particular floor's temperature higher than the party would like. Soon after their exploration begins, Fae takes note of how the temperature has dropped. She looks around, but sees nothing that could be the cause. "Um, did it get colder for anyone else?"

Glancing at Cyrus as she walks, Fiona offers an explanation. "You have Cyrus to thank for that. He can channel ice magic so that the area around him is cooled."

Gwenivere adds, "He can perform the reverse to keep warm in colder climates as well."

Looking to Fae, Cyrus asks, "You're not too cold, are you?" She shakes her head. "That's good; I'd hate for you to get sick." Around 4PM, roughly an hour after the trek begins, the party arrives at a dead end in D6. A small pond suitable for fishing is here, which causes Cyrus to frown. "Bollocks to that; I didn't bring my fishing rod." Before departing from this area, he spots a guard in a shady spot, likely in an effort to escape the afternoon heat. The guard is playing with a small black insect.

This goes on for a brief moment before the guard ushers the bug back into its cage. He rises from the rock he was sitting on and looks to the Seekers. "Well, hello there. What brings you lot all the way to this spot?" When the party explains that they're filling out the rest of their map, he nods. "I can appreciate people who do their work thoroughly. What's your Guild's name?"

"We're the Seekers, Mr. Guard."

"Ah, so you're the ones I've heard about. There's a cute Fencer who always sings praises of a friend she has; claims that friend of hers is a Fencer among the Seekers." He looks to Fiona as he follows, "I figure that must be you."

"Aria brags about me? Oh, I hope she hasn't said anything embarrassing."

"Nothing that I've heard. I know this is a bit out there, but I have a request of you all." He then holds up the cage containing the beetle he was playing with earlier. "This little guy is my partner, a Giant Stag Beetle; I was wondering if you'd like to battle. If I win, you'll have to hand over a prize; the reverse applies, of course."

Fae takes hold of the cage containing the party's Emperor Beetle and places it on the ground. "Come on out, big guy; you can do it."

The Emperor Beetle strides out of his cage, looking to see Fae's beaming expression. He then looks to his opponent, who has also emerged from its cage. "For the honor of the little one." Despite the emperor's imposing form, the stag beetle stands its ground as it mounts an assault. Their struggle is brief, with locked horns and bared jaws sent forth towards vulnerable angles. For a moment, the stag beetle appears to have gained the upper hand, only for the emperor to bash his opponent away. ' _I shall not be bested by such a basic attack._ '

All the while, Cyrus and Fae cheer on their combatant, while the guardsman does the same for his side. Seeing an opening, the emperor lowers his head as he steps forward, allowing him to flip the stag beetle onto its back. The battle is over, prompting the emperor to take a step backwards. The guard holds a hand to the side of his helm, shocked at the results. "I'll be damned; I accept defeat." He then pulls a sheathed sword from his belongings, handing it over to Cyrus. "This was a prize from another explorer; it looks like a pretty great weapon, so I'm sure you'll make use of it."

The party thanks the guard for the reward, as well as the competition, before setting off. Fae holds onto the emperor beetle's cage, a prideful smile plastered upon her face. "Our beetle was so cool. I gotta give him a reward when we get back to the inn."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "It was most certainly an impressive victory. That parry towards the end was well-timed." Just before the party can reach the door leading back to the large room in C5, Cyrus stops, drawing his sword as he says, "Fae, secure the emperor; we have company."

"O- OK!" The emperor beetle is quickly secured, allowing Fae the freedom to focus on combat. "We'll be alright, so don't worry about us."

The opposition consists of two Popping Gels and a Spotted Hound. Cyrus is the first to act, charging in to stab his blade into the Spotted Hound before pulling back and flipping backwards. The three enemies are drawn towards him because of this, granting Fiona the chance to follow-up on Cyrus' attack with a thrust from Chain Freeze. A bolt of lightning follows, courtesy of Gwenivere, which obliterates the two Popping Gels. The Spotted Hound charges at Cyrus, slamming its head into his gut.

He is sent rolling along the ground, recovering his footing before crashing into a rock. The Spotted Hound is already charging towards him again, to which he responds with another sword thrust. Fiona follows up on this as well, though the strike fails to slay the beast. A single arrow flies in from the creature's blind spot, piercing its skull and ending its life. Fae sighs in relief, having succeeded in taking her shot. She rushes over to tend to Cyrus' injuries.

Feeling his pain fading away, Cyrus lets out a sigh. "Thank you, Fae." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I really screwed up that dodge just now."

"I- It's OK; you'll just get better, right?" The party proceeds forward, taking the time to map out the perilous region beyond the door. "Now I remember why we never came back…Uncle's scared of heights." Before the party can proceed through the eastern door in this large open area, a trio of monsters appears. Two Gobblers occupy the back row, while a Chiroptekong occupies the front. "That ape is a Rare Breed!"

Gwenivere responds to this threat by channeling her allies' powers to unleash Chain Blast. All three opponents are fully bound, stopping the ape from attacking at all. One of the Gobblers runs over and tries to attack Cyrus, only for him to casually step to the side and retaliate with a stab to the neck, ending the creature's life. A flash of blue light overtakes his form, signaling that Ray of Light has triggered. The Chiroptekong attempts the same approach, though Cyrus' retaliation does not end its life; Fiona does this instead, using a doubled Chain Flame before following up with Chain Burst to finish off the remaining Gobbler.

Hayato looks to Gwenivere and says, "That was easy."

"Agreed." As 6PM arrives, the party steps into the large open area where the Enemy Set consisting of three Spotted Hounds was last seen. "I am hoping we finish this quickly; Chain Blast is our only guaranteed option against those creatures." She looks to Fae and asks, "You have a bomb that inflicts Panic now, yes?" She nods, to which Gwenivere follows, "I wonder how consistent it might be."

"I haven't, um, tested it yet, but I'll do my best!"

Gwenivere then pats her on the head. "Of course, sweetie; please take your time – I would never rush you." She looks to find a nearby pillar that can be collapsed. "I think this is the first pillar that we can realistically push from any side." Looking to her comrades, she asks, "Which direction shall we choose?"

The party ultimately chooses to push the pillar so that it falls to the east. This doesn't prove to be advantageous, though the party is not put at a deficit either. Upon realizing that an Impeding Tengu awaits further in, and that there are no less than two Glaring Stingers in this expanse, the party just warps out to reconvene at Jenetta's Inn until 7PM. They return to the tenth floor with their energy restored. It takes an hour to return to the expanse, though there are no encounters along the way.

Cyrus unfurls the map and takes a long look at what has been drawn. "There is no way past that Glaring Stinger without baiting it. Our only choice may very well require us to trick the tengu into dropping a pillar on it. Then we drop our remaining pillar on the tengu itself."

Fiona says, "That still leaves one more Glaring Stinger, assuming we don't have any other FOEs lurking in here. Can we outrun it?"

"I'm honestly not sure." He glances up to take another look at the enemy assortment. It doesn't take long for him to see a glaring issue. "The second Glaring Stinger…it's on the same line, and their rotations are synced." He groans at this, falling to his rear as he begins glaring at the map. "What is the solution…" He rises to his feet, furling the map as he says, "We'll need to slay one of the Glaring Stingers." Looking to his team, he follows, "We won't attempt Chain Blast again; our Union Skills are best conserved for emergencies here."

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere asks, "What is our plan of attack?"

"We'll take the preemptive and spend a turn buffing and debuffing. I'll setup Phantom Swords while Fae will try Dark Smoke. Fiona will use Chain Plus and you, Milady, shall bolster the three of us with Amplifier. Lord Hayato, we'll need the Haste Prayer. That will mark a full assortment of buffs and Fae will round things out with Smokeblight."

Everyone nods to him, having a clear understanding of their roles. Fae's bomb explodes and causes blindness immediately, causing a smirk to form on Cyrus' face that no one else notices. The runic pattern in his left eye glows light blue as he summons four blades using ice magic. As the Glaring Stinger turns around, all it can see are the blades flying towards it. They are all dispersed just before making contact, causing the residue they leave behind to fall into the creature's eyes. Its depth perception is skewed because of this, but it has very little time to process such information.

A magic sigil in the guise of a clock forms beneath the feet of everyone in the party, marking Hayato's use of the Haste Prayer. As the hands of these clocks begin to spin, they quickly increase in speed, soon accelerating to the point that they are invisible before the sigil disappears completely. The creature blinks, only for Cyrus to disappear from sight entirely. It fails to realize that the Fencer is directly beneath it, surging his blade into its chest. Fiona charges in and delivers a follow-up through Chain Shock, to which the creature screeches in agony. A bolt of lightning follows shortly after, courtesy of Gwenivere, which Fiona follows up with another use of Chain Shock.

Fae pulls a bomb from her bag and tosses it at the creature. The two smokes interact properly as intended, lowering its elemental defense for the next assault. Gwenivere holds her staff forward, triggering a Union Skill between her, Cyrus, Fiona, and Fae. "I'll make use of Tri-Magic!" The attack certainly injures the creature, but it seems perfectly ready to continue combat. "Hm, tenacious, aren't you?" After another volley, the creature takes to lashing out with its tail. Cyrus is missed entirely, but the tail's length proves to be greater than anticipated, for Fae is knocked to the ground. "Are you alright?!"

She quickly picks herself up, but finds that her arms can't be moved. "I- I can't move my arms!"

Turning his back to the Glaring Stinger, Cyrus says, "Fiona, Gwen; I leave this to you." Though the creature has yet to recover from its blindness, it has enough awareness to try and strike Cyrus; it misses, receiving a stab to the jaw for its wasted effort. Fiona follows up with Chain Shock, plunging her blade deeper into the hole Cyrus just made. She wrenches her rapier from the beast, kicking away from it just before Gwenivere's bolt of lightning falls. Upon landing, she charges in for one more thrust, which slays the creature. Cyrus crouches before Fae and asks, "Are you alright?"

Without waiting for her answer, he slowly rolls up her sleeve to check the damage on her arm. "A minor bruise; nothing we can't treat. Is your other arm injured as well?" She shakes her head, to which he nods and pulls medical implements from her bag.

"H- Huh? What are you doing?"

"It would be unbecoming of me to have you treat your own injuries, especially when it's my fault you took that hit." He first cleans the small amount of dirt on her arm, making sure there aren't any open scrapes he might have missed. "My old man was a doctor, so I know a thing or two about medicine." His face forms a sad expression as he says this, though he continues speaking. "I can't heal people with magic, but I can at least handle this." He pulls an herb from Fae's bag and wraps it around her arm before securing it in place with a cloth. "The herb should take effect in just a moment."

True to form, Fae can feel strength returning to her arm; the numbing feeling has faded from both, but the one that was bruised no longer stings. "Thank you…" The party moves further north, taking care to weave into the path while the second Glaring Stinger isn't watching. Pointing to it, Fae says, "We can't get past this one, either." She looks over to see Cyrus slam his palm to his face. "Should we go back?" She can see Cyrus drawing his blade and summoning the blades of ice to use Phantom Swords as well. Fae sighs at this, pulling out another dark smoke bomb as she says, "I guess not."

The Glaring Stinger is vanquished, much like the first, though this time, Cyrus is the one to take damage. His injuries are minor, not nearly enough to deter him now that the party's goal is in sight. A few hours are spent trying to deal with the uncooperative tengu; the creature is quite persistent in ruining the party's attempts to drop a pillar on top of it, ultimately forcing them to drop the pillar into its path and then make a break for the area it was guarding. A door lies ahead, which the party quickly proceeds through before slamming it in the face of their pursuer. Within is a treasure chest containing 2000 ental, as well as a shortcut leading back to cliff side in B5.

Though it is quite late, the party elects to return to the Hippogryph's battleground to ascend the staircase to the next Stratum. As they make their ascent, the hour strikes 2AM. At some point, Fiona wonders aloud just how much farther the staircase stretches for, a question brought about by the darkness surrounding her and her comrades. To her surprise, they've reached the top; the darkness simply persists. The next stratum was described as a graveyard, but the party took this as a metaphor. They expected a war-torn battleground, with rusted weapons littering the landscape.

Instead, they are greeted by the sight of a decaying world, with tombstones of varying sizes scattered all about. The etchings of many are no longer legible, having faded with time and the abuse it brings. A faint stench looms on the occasional lonely breeze; there is not a creature to be seen nor heard. Hollowed out trees, grayed and decrepit, line some of the areas where graves are not dominant. Fae moves behind Cyrus, clutching at his pants leg. She is unable to look away from the desolate stratum before her, despite wanting nothing more than to bury her face so that she can see nothing.

Up ahead is the Geomagnetic Pole, which the party quickly approaches. Along the way, a sharp spike comprised of bone juts from the ground, rising high above the party members. At its peak is a pierced skull of what the party assumes was once an Earthlain. Gwenivere can only look on in disgust. "This is too much; the war with the Despot must have been unimaginable."

Crossing his arms, Hayato can only sigh at the notion. "That man slaughtered innocent villagers in his quest for Yggdrasil's power. What we see now…is probably just a fraction of the atrocities he's committed." Looking to Cyrus, he says, "Let's get going, leader; Fae shouldn't have to see this." Cyrus' only reply is a nod; he places his hand to the Geomagnetic Pole in order to register his Guild to it. They then warp back to Iorys in order to retire at Jenetta's Inn.


	21. Graveyard of Darkness

**Chapter 21: Graveyard of Darkness**

The following morning, Cyrus slips away from the clutches of both Fae and Gwenivere in order to get an earlier start than usual. As he steps downstairs, he is greeted by Friedrich. The cat takes a seat near the base of the stairs as he says, "You're up early." He then licks his paw and wipes his face before taking a moment to stretch. "You didn't come home until late in the night; you really should sleep in."

"I appreciate the concern, but there is work to be done."

"I don't envy you humans, least of all Ms. Jenetta. I've chased prey with less energy than her; I can't even begin to imagine what she's like when her life is on the line."

Scratching at his cheek, Cyrus dons an awkward smile as he replies, "I can't say Jenetta even has a sense of danger to begin with."

"That is…distressing." He turns his head towards the kitchen as Jenetta calls out to him. She then steps into the dining area, holding a serving bowl that Friedrich recognizes as his own. His tail begins to wag, which brings a smile to Jenetta's face. Once she sets the bowl down, he looks to her and licks her face in gratitude. "You are too kind." He then commences his feast.

Looking to Cyrus, Jenetta's smile persists as she asks, "Are you feeling better? You all looked really serious when you came home last night."

"We made it to the Third Stratum; what we saw was…not to our expectations."

"You didn't know it was called the Fetid Necropolis, did you?" Cyrus shakes his head, to which Jenetta responds with a saddened expression. "Fae didn't have any nightmares, right?"

"No. She slept peacefully for the entire night." He looks away, albeit briefly, as a downtrodden expression takes over his face. "Lord Hayato had some trouble, however; his affinity for spiritual communication is impressive, but it might serve to his detriment up there." He rests his hand in his pocket as he follows, "I may want to lead the second squad through this Stratum instead."

"Being a leader must be tough. When we fought that Owl Beast together, you had everything under control, but I guess, well, even you run into trouble sometimes, right?"

"Perfection is hard to come by, I'm afraid."

"How about I cook you something before you go? I bet you're hungry~" It is at this moment her own stomach growls. "Oh no, wait, that was me." Cyrus chuckles at this, causing her to giggle in turn. She then returns to the kitchen to prepare a meal, insisting that Cyrus have a seat and dine before starting his day proper. When she returns, a small serving tray rests upon her hand. Setting it down reveals that the tray hosts two plates, each one holding a fried egg sandwiched between two halves of an English muffin. Jenetta's plate has a small bowl filled with syrup for dipping purposes. Cyrus' lacks this dipping bowl, but his egg is topped with grape jelly instead.

The two dine in silence, content with the meal's simplicity and each other's presence. After thanking Jenetta for the breakfast, he bids both her and Friedrich farewell. Closing the door to the inn behind him, he steps out into the street to see Lissa walking over to him. They share a brief kiss as their greeting before Cyrus asks, "What has you up so early?"

"Maintaining my gear; I haven't serviced it in awhile. You?"

"I wanted to turn in our map of the tenth floor to the prince."

Seeing something akin to distress in his eyes, Lissa crosses her arms and steps into his intended path. Cyrus remains standing, staring at her for a moment before she smirks. "You and I both know how this ends, so just be straight with me. It's about the Third Stratum, right?"

"…Yes. Not sure how we should proceed."

"You're not afraid of ghosts, right?" He shakes his head to the notion. "Then you're worried about the rest of us; nothing new there." As he opens his mouth to speak, she shakes her head at him. "Nah, I'm not in the mood to hear it, dear. You trust us, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Then take a minute to breathe and assess the situation like you always do; we'll be behind your decision." She smirks, "And you can expect Clarisse to call you out on anything that sounds blatantly stupid. Hell, I might join her." She grabs hold of his hand, pulling him along as she says, "Let's go speak with the prince." As they walk, she takes note of Cyrus' silence, as well as his rather weak grip of her hand. She stops in recognition of this, even putting in additional effort to grasp his hand more firmly. Looking to him, she can see that his expression has sunk into something more concerning. "There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" His silence persists as he breaks eye contact. "Cyrus, you gave me your word."

He nods to the notion, though he retains his silence for but a moment longer. "I couldn't sleep; that graveyard brought back…memories. Should I keep my eyes closed for too long, I start to see the people whose lives I've ended; their dying words bombard me still."

"Is this the real reason you get up early every morning?" He nods, causing her to sigh. "You know, that offer still stands; you can leave Erdboden behind and just stay here."

"You know I can't do that."

"Why do you feel so obligated to the world that treats you so poorly?"

"The Province of Nature isn't so bad. Excluding the nobles, I think most of the people there are actually fond of me." He gives pause at this notion, looking deep into Lissa's eyes as if expecting to find some sort of confirmation in them. Instead, he finds uncertainty, which causes a brief break in eye contact. "Maybe that's not entirely honest."

"Isn't most of this for Gwenivere?" Her question strikes deep, eliciting a pained expression. "Yeah…that much should have been obvious. You owe her your life; it only makes sense that you'd stay in Erdboden for her sake." She lets out a sigh, looking to him with eyes of sympathy. "If she told you to leave Erdboden behind, ordered you, would you be OK with it then?"

To her surprise, his answer is both firm and immediate; he shakes his head as he says, "No, such an order is out of the question. I promised to see her live a successful rule as Overlord, and that I'd stand by her side; no one can keep me from fulfilling a promise – not the gods of my realm, not the absolute order of my liege."

"Huh, so there are times when you'd actually defy her; color me surprised." She then shakes her head, remembering a more pressing matter. "That aside, are you equipped to explore that Stratum? Fiona and I can both lead in your stead."

"I've pushed through worse."

"That isn't what I asked; I don't want to see a repeat of the Molten Caves, Cyrus. That Stratum was awful for you." She lingers, looking towards the ground as her grip of his hand begins to waver. "I don't want a repeat of the Azure Rainforest either. That," she looks him in the eye again, "I don't enjoy being reminded of that."

"That makes two of us." He finally offers a deal of effort in the grip they share, stepping forward and giving a gentle tug so that Lissa is by his side, rather than directly in front of him. "We'll give this Stratum a test; if it takes too much of a toll on me, I promise to let someone else take my place."

"You won't force yourself? You won't lie about how you're feeling?" His eyes momentarily widen in shock at the notion, and though he is quick to regain his composure, that brief moment was all that Lissa needed to see. "I know it's harsh to bring that up again, but it hurts when you lie to me like that, Cyrus." His silence is telling, as is the apologetic expression he has suddenly donned. He nods to her, but this isn't good enough. "I want to hear you say it, love."

"You have my word, Elizabeth." For her, this is enough of a satisfactory reply, so she steps forward to continue their trek. To her surprise, Cyrus doesn't follow suit, prompting her to look back at him, her expression putting her expectancy on display. "I'm sorry; I never meant t-" She smiles at him as she gives a tug at his arm, cutting off his sentence before he can finish. He is not given the chance to properly close out his train of thought, for she increases her pace to forcibly prompt him to do the same. Cyrus quickly matches her so that they're walking side-by-side again. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

The two arrive at the Council Hall, where Ramus seems to have just concluded business with the Nomad Guild. As they depart from the area, they exchange brief pleasantries with Cyrus and Lissa. When they step up to Ramus, he is the initiator of conversation. "Well met, Seekers. How may I help you today?" Cyrus hands him the map of the tenth floor. "Ah, excellent; I was beginning to worry that we might have misplaced this." He then hands Cyrus three silver coins that the man has never seen before. "These are Zepherian Coins; they commemorate the Zepheria celebration held in the Brouni homeland."

Looking to the coins, Lissa adds, "These are quite rare; should fetch a nice price."

"We appreciate the gift, Prince Ramus."

"Think nothing of it. I assume this means you all will be exploring the Fetid Necropolis today?" Cyrus nods, to which he follows, "I ask that you be careful."

The duo departs from the Council Hall to make way for the Twilight Tavern. Though the morn is early, there are a fair number of patrons present. Among them is Evelyn, who currently sits with her two comrades at a table. She and Stacy are enjoying tea in silence, while Melissa is busy devouring a steak. Upon seeing Cyrus and Lissa step in, Evelyn waves them over, presenting an invitation they are happy to accept. "The Nomads were cleared for new titles."

Judging from the single katana resting beside her chair, Cyrus dons a soft smile and says, "I take it you're walking as a Blade Master?" She nods. "How quaint, as am I."

"Is that right? What did you choose for your title? At the suggestion of my comrades, I am now known as the 'Swift Sparrow'." Cyrus' expression lights up at this, and he suddenly goes on a short rant about how cool that sounds. Evelyn blushes at this, looking down at the table to avoid making eye contact "Mercy, Cyrus; this is all really embarrassing."

He clears his throat, a blush forming on his own expression as he likewise averts eye contact. "My apologies, Lyn; I do believe I just got carried away." He then looks to her as he says, "As a Fencer, I am the 'Runic Gale', walking the path of the Phantom Duelist. As a Masurao, I am the 'Ebon Herald'." Stacy's attention is caught by this, prompting her to inquire further. "The idea is for me to put our enemies to sleep so that Valerie, our Harbinger, can deal increased damage when she learns how to use Fatal Reap."

"Ah, I see, so Valerie has chosen to walk as a Deathbringer; I'm a Deathguard, myself – 'The Umbral Veil'." Jabbing a thumb towards Melissa, she follows, "The voracious one there is a Barrage Brawler; you can call her the 'Rampaging Lion'."

Evelyn says, "We took a peek at the Third Stratum and encountered a few of the enemies. One of them was an undead swordsman that the Monstrous Codex refers to as a 'Skelesword'."

Lissa gives the woman a blank stare. "A skeleton? Another undead soldier? Great…that's lovely."

"Another?" You have faced such a horror before?

She nods. "Aye, back in the 5th Stratum of Lagaard. Explorers who lose their lives within that Labyrinth were taken by the envoys of the 5th Stratum's ruler. Once there, the Overlord would conduct experiments in his efforts to find the secret to immortality."

Stacy's countenance turns pale at the notion. "What sort of madman thinks himself among the divine?" She shakes her head, returning the conversation back to its proper subject as she says, "The Skelesword is different. It rises from its grave whenever explorers pass by."

"These creatures move slowly, and lack any semblance of grace, so take care when tracking their movements." Evelyn then glances at Melissa and sighs. "Now if only Melissa could follow suit." She then recalls an important tip; "Ah yes, if you are chased by one during the day, lead it to where the sun shines into the Stratum; these creatures vanish instantly upon being struck by sunlight."

Cyrus adopts a contemplative expression at this reveal. "So they're wraiths as well. You mentioned spots where sunlight beams in; do these change during the evening?"

Before anyone in the Nomads Guild can offer an answer, a Dragoon steps over to the table. His armor set is distinct from Lissa's, with his shield boasting the symbol of the Arcanian Council upon its face. His hair is red, neatly combed backwards to grant it a windswept visage; his green eyes scan the table, as if gauging the mettle of the explorers before him. He raises a hand in greeting, to which Lissa smiles as she looks to him. "Captain Logan; it is rare to see you here, and so early at that."

"I could say the same of you, Lissa; when was the last time you took a break?"

"Now, now, someone had to make sure you didn't give the rookies too hard a time." She then locks her arm into Cyrus' as she pulls him closer. "Besides, being a workaholic is my lover's job, not mine."

"Oh, so this is the man?" He steps over, prompting Cyrus to rise from his seat and shake his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you; with the stories I've heard, I was beginning to think you might not actually exist. I'm Logan, a Captain among the Council's royal guard; I was also Lissa's instructor when she first arrived here in Iorys."

Cyrus chuckles at the notion. "I assume she was quite rowdy when she first got here."

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe. She certainly had a lot of spirit for one so short."

Before the two can share a laugh at this, Lissa begins to exude an aura of malice that scares them both into silence. Cyrus clears his throat to break this silence; "I'm Cyrus Coelistis, the leader of Seekers, as well as Lissa's betrothed."

"Betrothed? Lissa never s-" He looks to her, seeing that his former cadet is blushing and avoiding eye contact. "Well then, I offer you both my congratulations." He looks to the Nomad Guild's members as he follows, "Pardon my intrusion, but I couldn't help but overhear your discussion of the Third Stratum." Looking to Cyrus, he says, "Though you seem to have not yet explored the place, your insight is keen. Indeed, the areas that are graced by sunlight are a boon for explorers, but the sun brings with it a slew of toxic marshes."

"Hm, exploration will become a challenge in that case. We would have to trade easy traversal in exchange for increased FOE-related danger." He falls silent for a moment in order to think of a solution. "We could bring Lady Gwenivere with us to make use of Levitation."

Logan nods to this, crossing his arms as he says, "Not a bad plan. It would grant you the ease of traveling without worrying about the FOEs while simultaneously being rid of the threat of the toxic marshes." He pats Cyrus on the shoulder, a smile forming on his face as he follows, "I suppose you'd have to be a fast thinker to lead the Seekers the way Lissa described; I look forward to seeing you folks out there in the field."

"Likewise, Sir Logan; stay safe out there."

"Try not to get carried away, Captain." Logan waves this off as he departs, which causes Lissa to let out a huff as she rests her hands on her hips. "And he calls me the rowdy one." She looks to the left to see Mirina approaching. "Honestly, Mirina, can you believe that man?"

"Oh, no, no, no; you're not tricking me into joining that debate a second time."

"Ah, good morning, Matron; have you any quests for us to tackle?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. The first of these is an ore request made by the young lady over there." She points to a different table, where a girl holding a large tome can be seen sipping a cup of coffee. "Next up is a request from a fellow Celestrian." She points to another table, where a woman with pale skin and silvery blonde hair sits as she dines on soup. "She needs some help teaching her son a lesson; he's a bit of a prankster from what I was told."

Melissa laughs at this. "I bet a kid like that would drive Stacy crazy."

"You'd be right. After all, I'm looking at one right now."

Cyrus and Lissa decide to slip away before this conversation undoubtedly devolves into something far more heated. The two first approach the young lady reading the large tome. She doesn't seem to notice them at first, being distracted by the contents of the book before her. She looks up to see them both, her face brightening in surprise at their presence. "Oh, hello! Sorry, I was busy taking notes; I've got a lot of studying to do!"

"An aspiring mineralogist?" She nods, surprised at Cyrus' guess. "I'm a craftsman, so I can appreciate a fine cut of ore. We've accepted your request; how may we be of assistance?"

"Thank you so much; I'm looking to see what kinds of ore can be found in the Third Stratum. Even just one would be nice, but it'd sure be great to see them all."

Lissa says, "We'll try to get them all for you." Glancing at Cyrus, she smirks as she says, "Cyrus here is pretty thorough about that sort of thing."

"OK! I'll be waiting here around this time, but please take your time; I hear it's really dangerous up there."

They nod to her before bidding the child farewell. As they walk away, Cyrus comments, "I'm surprised children in Iorys drink coffee."

"I was drinking coffee at her age. You need that kinda boost when you have to train or study that hard so early in the morning."

"Hm, I never saw the need for such."

"That's because you absorb aether like some weird human-plant thing."

"You…you think I'm weird?"

"It's OK, Cyrus; I still love you."

' _Wait, doesn't that basically confirm it?!_ '

Before Cyrus can pry any further on this matter, the two arrive at the table of the Celestrian woman, who looks to them both. "Good morning. Might you two be explorers?" They nod, offering a brief explanation of why they're here; her face lights up at this news. "Wonderful! I am glad to finally have someone accept my request. Please hear me out; this is about my son. He's been playing pranks around town lately, and I've tried everything to discipline him."

Resting a hand on her hip, Lissa says, "Let me guess – the lad appears to have learned his lesson, but quickly resumes his prior behavior?"

"Right on the money, young lady; might you be a parent yourself?" Lissa blushes at the notion before looking to Cyrus, which only makes her expression intensify. The Celestrian woman giggles at this. "My apologies; I did not mean to put you on the spot. I will admit that the two of you are a cute couple, but I suspect that children are pretty far off."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "I might be ready in two years time." He looks to Lissa as he follows, "Of course, I'll wait until you're properly prepared for such." By this point, her face has turned completely red, causing her to raise her scarf and turn away so that no one can see her. Cyrus chuckles at this before turning his attention back to the client. "Is there anything you can think of that would set your son straight?"

"He can't stand the sight of skeletons." She giggles. "Even an illustration of simple bones is enough to send him scurrying under the covers."

"I have no doubt that the sight of a Skelesword from the Third Stratum might scare him into obedience. I hate to do that to the lad, but it's certainly effective. We'll get a proper picture for you, ma'am."

"You're a lifesaver, young man – your lover, too. Please be careful as you explore."

Their business concluded, the duo returns to Jenetta's Inn; here, Cyrus retrieves his katana, as well as one of the Guild's Luck Necklaces. As he steps back downstairs, he realizes that the rest of his Guild is standing in the lobby. All of them are prepared to head to Yggdrasil, and await his party choice. He looks to Amy as he asks, "Sister, can I ask you to tag out for Lady Gwenivere?"

She nods, donning a soft smile as she replies, "Yeah, sure. Elemental damage will probably save your hide up there in the Necropolis, assuming the enemies up there are anything like their Erdboden equivalents." She then walks over to him, resting an elbow on his shoulder as she leans in to whisper. "You gonna be alright up there?"

"Yes, I should be fine."

"Fae and I will prepare your medication; just to be on the safe side." She pulls away from him, patting his shoulder as her smile returns. "Alright then; you all be safe out there." She then skips over to Fae, picking up the child and letting her sit on her shoulders. "How about we go play at the park?" Fae's response is a cheer, which causes Amy to chuckle. "I had a feeling you'd like that."

After a quick gear check, the newly formed party sets out for the Fetid Necropolis. Clarisse, Lissa, and Valerie are all taken aback by the Stratum's appearance, their expressions ghastly. Balto lets out a saddened whine at the sight; Cyrus takes a knee and rests his hand on the Hound's head. Though he says nothing, Balto is put at ease by the look in his eyes. Rising to his feet, Cyrus grabs hold of what remains of his left arm. ' _I wonder if this will work._ ' He channels aether through himself, and is surprised to find that he successfully conjures his replacement left arm without Valerie's assistance. He nods to this notion as he says, "I figured the darkness here was potent, but I'm still surprised that went through."

Lord Wrath rises from Cyrus' shadow, eliciting a shocked response from Gwenivere. The demon waves to her before turning his focus to his host. "I suggest you all be on your guard; this place is overflowing with malice." Looking to Valerie, he asks, "Will you be alright, Princess? Of the people present, you and Cyrus are the most concerning."

"I nullify Darkness, remember? The Chief is the one you need to worry abou- wait, did you ju-" She then pouts at Clarisse, who simply smirks in reply. "Wrath, don't you start with this, too."

"I happen to find 'Princess' to be an apt nickname for you. Would you prefer if I referred to you by your new title?"

"Actually…yes, yes I would."

"Very well, but I shall shorten it. Instead of the 'Ebon Arbiter', I shall simply drop the adjective." He then sinks back into Cyrus' shadow, not even waiting to hear Valerie's reply. The Harbinger lets out a huff at this, but offers no further comments of her own. The party begins its trek proper, proceeding through the winding paths of this cave system. A stale odor accosts the Seekers' nostrils, and the air begins to grow thick. Further in, bones from non-human creatures can be seen, including the bleached skull of a dragon. The flooring ahead is similar to that of a marshland, instilling within the party a need to be mindful of their footing.

A familiar voice pierces through the chilling silence, and contrasts quite heavily with the atmosphere set by the Fetid Necropolis. Lili steps into view with Solor by her side. "Hey guys! Welcome to the dump that is the Fetid Necropolis!" She then notices that Cyrus now has a left arm, and that it's comprised of darkness. Pointing to it, she asks, "When did that happen?"

"Valerie and I learned how to facilitate my act of channeling darkness through the use of her Miasma Armor back in the Tutelary Forest."

Valerie picks up his thread as she adds, "It's kind of inconsistent since the Miasma Armor can fade away after a time if I don't maintain it, so we didn't use it all that often in the Jagged Reach."

"Up here, in this horrific graveyard, the surrounding malefic aura provides a natural buffer. I can wield the darkness freely up here."

Solor crosses her arms at this. "That's not half bad, especially for an Earthlain. Lili told me about your ability to absorb the element. Not that it's any of my business, but are you gonna be alright up here? I imagine you have an upper limit."

"I've spent my entire life steadily increasing that limit; this graveyard shouldn't pose a problem."

Solor then uses her scythe to point at his shadow. Though it perfectly matches Cyrus' form at present, she is somehow able to point out Lord Wrath's presence. "You got a demon posing as your shadow over there." Lili looks to her comrade in surprise before glaring at Cyrus' shadow. She can sense Lord Wrath's presence after focusing, but he is not nearly as notable to her as he is to Solor. Lord Wrath then emerges from the shadow, taking his place at Cyrus' side. "Oh, wait, you're friends with it?" For a moment, her stoic eyes shift to show surprise.

"It's…it's a long story. You needn't be concerned; Lord Wrath is an ally, and has been since I was 11."

"11?!" Solor shakes her head at this. "I don't even think I wanna know the details."

Lili, however, is quite chipper to see the demon. She walks over and grabs hold of his hand, shaking it as she looks up and smiles at him. "You two have been friends for a long time, right? What kind of spirit are you?" Though taken aback by the young girl's enthusiasm, Cyrus and Lord Wrath work to briefly explain the nature of their partnership, as well as the circumstances that led to them meeting. "Wow, that's some dedication you have to your mistress." She looks to Lord Wrath again. "Still, I wonder if you'll be sad if you end up having to kill Cyrus."

Valerie and Gwenivere look to the demon, their expressions suggesting that they share in Lili's sentiment. As a reply, he says, "I have been with this man for close to a decade now; I've been at his side through countless struggles. Of the hosts I've had, he is the only one I do not wish to see succumb to the darkness of man." He then places a hand on Cyrus' head, ruffling his hair, much to the host's chagrin. He chuckles at Cyrus' minor frustration. "The chance to meet a person like him is slim; I'll be…disappointed when we part, be that when his natural lifespan expires or if I must lay claim to his soul."

Solor looks to Cyrus as she says, "I guess you just have that effect on anyone you come across." She shrugs. "Ah well. Since you guys are Masters now, I guess you'll be fine."

"But don't drop your guard up here." Her once cheery expression has shifted to match the serious tone of her voice. "I wanna talk some more, but we have to get going. Hang in there until then, OK?"

The party thanks the two for their warning and watches them as they depart. Before long, Solor turns back and says, "There's a dead end to the back of a path leading due west from here. Our base of operations is over there." Lili looks to her in surprise again. "We normally keep it under wraps, but I'll make an exception for you. Feel free to use it when you need to rest."

"I knew you cared!" Solor then takes to pulling at Lili's cheeks, offering furious rebuttals concerning how such a claim is definitely not the case. Lili can only laugh at her efforts, which only serves to make Solor more furious. When Cyrus and Valerie show gratitude for this, when Solor catches a glimpse of their gentle smiles, she blushes, picks up Lili, and starts running, not even sending a parting insult. The party elects to continue forward.

As they make way for the dead end they were informed of, a trio of enemies approaches them. Each member of this trio is of the same enemy type – a floating skull that is cracked in various places. They are kept afloat by the fire dwelling within them, which Valerie identifies as a wisp. Lissa summons a bunker preemptively, only for one of the skulls to ignore it in favor of ramming into her chest. The creature cackles to itself, apparently pleased with its efforts. The laughing comes to a cease when one of its comrades is felled as a result of Clarisse's Arc Shot and Gwenivere's Icicle Lance.

Before the remaining pair can process the situation, Valerie appears behind them, scythe raised as her form is enshrouded in darkness. With a single swing, both are rendered paralyzed, though their movements do not appear to be terribly hindered. Cyrus performs a drawing slash, leaving his target open for both Clarisse and Balto to finish it off with a combined assault. The remaining skull falls shortly after as a result of Valerie using her scythe as a baseball bat, sending the skull into a wall.

After noting down the location of the campsite, they proceed forward. They arrive at a small clearing littered with more bones and rusted weaponry. Similar to the Stratum's entrance, which they've only just now noticed, sunlight is beaming down from above. Cyrus notates this on the map before the party elects to proceed west from the clearing. They are soon beset by another Enemy Set; this one is composed of an undead archer and some sort of creature comprised of black clay. It appears to be a golem of some make, with shimmering yellow points upon its form, as well as red markings denoting its face.

The automaton proves to be resistant to elemental damage, or at the very least Ice, which causes Gwenivere to frown. The party is caught off guard as the Bone Archer fires a shot at Cyrus. It pierces through his armor quite easily, flying through his shoulder to strike Clarisse in the chest, knocking her unconscious instantly. Valerie triggers the use of Double Attack, allowing her and Cyrus to dispatch the automaton before it can make another move. The archer fires another arrow aimed at Valerie; it grazes her arm as it flies to the back line to hit Gwenivere, who anticipated this and takes a defensive stance. Despite her efforts to block with her staff, the arrow pierces through to strike her shoulder.

Cyrus's katana begins to crackle with electric energy as he dashes over and performs a drawing slash upon the archer. It loses several portions of its rib cage, but is otherwise unfettered. Gwenivere quickly channels the aether around her to fire a bolt of lightning at the target, which causes it to burst into a pile of scattered bones. The party waits a moment to see if the bones will convene to reform, but this does not occur. Cyrus sheathes his katana and rushes over to Clarisse's unconscious form. A quick assessment reveals that the arrow did not pierce terribly deep, and the arrow itself isn't coated in rust or poison.

After removing it, he and Balto work in tandem to address the wound. Clarisse is then resuscitated through the use of Honeyed Fruit. For some strange reason, the mere scent of the meal is enough to bring her back to her comrades. Without really processing what's going on, she eats the apple right out of Cyrus' hand, even going so far as to lick the excess honey that dripped onto his fingers.

She picks herself up with a groan. "What the Hell just happened?"

Balto nuzzles against her cheek, prompting the woman to hug him. "You were struck down by the enemy archer."

"Damn, it was faster than I was? Wait, didn't that thing aim at Co? How did it…" Her eyes then widen, prompting her to rise to her feet and rush over to Cyrus. She takes a look at his left arm, quickly noting the wound he has sustained. "Shit, that arrow went straight through you."

"You were struck in the chest, Clarisse; tending to your wound was more pertinent."

"Yeah, I appreciate that, but we need to get this taken care of." Cyrus then pulls out a loaf of White Bread, which he promptly bites into, removing half of the loaf. Upon swallowing his food, purple strands, thread-like in appearance, begin to form within the wound of his shoulder. "What in the actual fuck…"

"Dark magic has many conveniences. I can sacrifice a number of things in order to trigger different effects. That loaf I just consumed? Rather than properly sustaining my body as food is supposed to, I was able to convert it into energy that Lord Wrath can use to mend my wounds."

"But that means you'll still be hungry, right?"

"Yes, but I can always eat later. This helps conserve supplies for people who actually need them…like you."

She rests a hand on her head, her expression displaying her concern. "You are pragmatic to a fault; so can you really just keep yourself healed like that?"

"Unfortunately, no. The healing effect is rather basic in its scope; were I to lose my other arm, I'd need an appropriately equal sacrifice to manage the feat." He shakes his head to the idea, letting out a sigh in turn. "I'm not terribly comfortable with making blood sacrifices that aren't my own, so I still have to rely on Amy for much of my healing needs."

"Erdboden is a scary-ass place. Why does that magic even exist?"

He is unable to provide her an answer, shaking his head in reply before tending to the wounds the rest of the party sustained over the course of the encounter. The path they chose to traverse soon hits a dead end, where Cyrus' eyes go wide as he spots something. "Shit, Mandrake! Lissa, ready th- wait…" Upon closer inspection, he comes to realize that, "This…isn't a Mandrake; it's tuber shaped like one."

Lissa steps over and says, "Yeah, that's a Mandrapotato. I guess these grow up here." She glances at him, her expression dubious as she asks, "Should we pick these? The buds and skin are poisonous, but the human-shaped root is delicious when cooked." She glances back to see that Clarisse is staring at the Mandrapotato with hungry eyes. "Yeah, we'll take 'em."

Making their way back to the sun-bathed clearing, the party takes the only path remaining to them. Three paths branch from here, two of which lead to dead ends, one of which leads further in to the west. The party maps the dead ends first, noting that one of them leads to another clearing bathed in sunlight. The second dead end houses some ore deposits. Just as the party is prepared to turn back, they stop upon seeing Cyrus and Lissa take up pickaxes. Valerie adopts an inquisitive expression at this notion, but doesn't ask why they aren't going to wait.

The haul is light, but the party is able to gather all three of the different types of ore to be found up here. True to form, rusted metal is quite a common find; Cyrus posits that such material can be melted down and recycled. Obsidian is another find, albeit tougher to spot due to its dark transparency matching the Stratum's décor. The rare find of this Stratum appears to be flint. The party secures the haul with their belongings and departs from here.

They soon arrive at another dead that split off from the main path. The air was previously humid, lending heavily to the stale musk that blankets the Stratum. Yet, this area is distinctly cold, with the Seekers being capable of seeing their breath upon the air as white clouds. Cyrus is the only one left unaffected by this temperature drop, and offers to search the area while the others huddle up near Gwenivere to be warmed by her fire magic. ' _Hm, there's nothing wrong with the graveyard, and I don't sense any magic._ '

It is at this moment something falls on top of his head. He quickly grabs hold of whatever it might be and gives it a toss with the flick of the wrist. The creature is revealed to be a large black slug. "Sorry about that; I lost my grip."

Cyrus sighs in relief at this as he says, "Ah, don't worry about it; I'm sorry for throwing you like that." He rises to his feet and motions for his party to depart. With assistance from Gwenivere, the two use magic to generate some water with which they cleanse his hair. This does nothing for its disheveled appearance, but at least it is now clean. Pressing forward, the party reaches a larger clearing bathed in sunlight. There is a distressing component, however, in the form of a pile of bones extending from the nearby trees as they block off the northern and western exits of the room. "Are these…doors?" He approaches the one to the north, placing his hand upon one of the bones; the structure reacts by pulling away to grant access to the enclosed clearing beyond.

His party follows behind him, prompting the door to close once they are all together. There are a multitude of graves clustered together here, a sight that moves the party to lower their heads to offer a brief prayer to the long departed. As Lissa raises her head, she takes note of something shining behind a nearby stone. After a moment of thinking it over, she shakes her head. "Disturbing the dead is not worth whatever that might be."

She and her party take their leave, leaving them with just one door to pass through. Within is a much larger area, one that is teeming with bones, skulls, and scattered weapons. A peculiar pile rests just beyond the portion of the area that is bathed in direct sunlight. Curious still, the FOE radar displays that the party is dangerously close to one such FOE, but they can see nothing. It is this notion that causes Gwenivere to point at the peculiar pile of bones.

"I do believe that pile of bones will reanimate as we pass by." She takes a step forward to test this, which causes the pile of bones to converge to form an undead soldier wielding a sword. Gwenivere jumps backwards, noting how sluggish the creature is. "A lumbering sort." The creature takes one more step forward, unaware of the light; true to Evelyn's claim, the Skelesword bursts into flame, soon dispersing entirely. The path forward is clear, allowing the Seekers to progress. What follows is a two-hour trek through two similarly large graveyards, both of which feature a Skelesword the party must proceed past.

Around 4PM, they unlock a shortcut leading back to the floor's entrance. Shortly after this they are beset by a new Enemy Set. In the back row is the automaton the party has come to address as the Petite Spriggan, but in the front is something much different. What lies before them is less of a creature and more along the lines of possessed architecture. The bust of a lion rests at the center of some sort of gothic-style wheel. It sports four blades, each facing one of the cardinal directions. Golden spikes protrude from the spaces left by these blades, effectively marking the four corner directions.

Cyrus blinks twice before glancing at the Monstrous Codex floating beside him. "This creature is a Soultaker." He frowns at this. "I don't like that name."

The Soultaker emits a horrible screeching noise that causes the ladies to reel back in disgust. For Cyrus, this screeching arrives as proper words. "I'm a…soul. Stealer!"

The choppy delivery, coupled with the record-scratched tone of the creature causes him to shake his head. "That's not OK. It's weak to Ice and Leg Bind works for some reason. Lissa, throw out a bunker!" Before Lissa can handle this task, the Spriggan waddles over and pushes Cyrus to the ground before running back to the area behind the Soultaker. ' _Are you serious?_ '

Through a combined effort of Clarisse and Balto, the Soultaker is pushed over, preventing it from spinning in place to generate fire. From here, the party swiftly finishes the encounter, leaving them no worse for wear. Gwenivere casts Invisibility, shaking her head as she says, "I don't think we should risk any further encounters." No one disagrees.

The stairs are soon found, along with the last Mine Point, a fishing spot, and a dead end, which is where the party currently stands. Here, some distance away from the ascending staircase, is a crumbling stone monument built untold ages ago. Upon closer examination, letters appear to be engraved on the monument, but the storm of time has left them difficult to decipher. As Clarisse waits for the leader to make the final call on how they will proceed, she spots a drinking horn resting in the shade of the monument. ' _Ooh, solid gold. It's shaped like a ram's horn from the looks of it._ '

She directs the party's attention to it; Valerie says, "This thing is brand new; just look at it. That's mighty suspicious." Instead of reaching for it, the party warps back to Iorys using an Ariadne Thread, deeming their exploration of this floor complete.


	22. Over a Toxic Graveyard

Author's Notes: _Apologies for the unannounced hiatus. The internet connection died for a solid week, and then I needed to spend two days catching up after everything was fixed. Let us continue._

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Over a Toxic Graveyard**

Upon returning to Iorys, the party's first order of business is to pay a visit to the Arcanian Council. Here, Ramus is working on another recipe, musing to himself as the Seekers arrive. His attention is diverted upon taking note of their presence; he rises from his seat, stepping over to address them. "Hello, everyone. You're just in time to witness a breakthrough. I purchased a Mandrapotato to see how it may be used as an ingredient." He glances back at the pot he was using for his cooking, soon turning his focus back to the party. "In olden times it was used in spells and alchemy, but a Brouni traveler taught me a delicious way to cook it!"

Smirking at him, Clarisse rests a hand on her hip as she asks, "Are you gonna share the recipe with us, sire?"

He nods. "First, you peel its skin and remove the buds. Then you cut reasonable-sized slices, add fresh milk, and flavor with spices."

Raising an eyebrow to this, Cyrus says, "That sounds like a stew."

"A good guess; the Brouni call it the Traveler's Stew." He then holds up a bowl, smiling as he asks, "Care to try some?" Valerie steps ahead of Cyrus to accept the bowl, taking in its contents before letting a content sigh escape her. "I am pleased that you enjoyed it; your palette is particularly difficult to satisfy."

"If only I could convince you to visit Erdboden; your cooking would be a hit at my father's bar." She shakes her head to the notion, resting a hand on her hip in turn. "That wouldn't work; you have your duties to your people."

"I wouldn't mind a visit, of course." Cyrus hands him the party's newly drawn map. "Ah, so you have just cleared the 11th floor; that was faster than expected."

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere dons a smile as she says, "Aside from the Bone Archer, the enemies dwelling within this Stratum don't strike me as too dangerous." Cyrus and Lissa stare at her, an act that causes her to sigh. "OK, I admit that the Soultaker is an undesirable encounter." She lets out a huff, internally disappointed by her comrades' lack of confidence. "Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Mirina is rubbing off on you two."

The party bids Ramus farewell; their next stop is the Twilight Tavern, where the young girl with the ore catalogue is still present. When she spots Cyrus and Lissa, she waves to them, prompting the party to approach her. "So is this the rest of your Guild? They look strong." She then sees Balto, donning a smile as she gets up from her seat to walk over to him. She looks to Clarisse, "M- May I?" The Rover nods, prompting Balto to step forward. The feeling of his soft fur elicits a giggle from the child. "He's so fluffy."

Cyrus kneels down to address the child, smiling as he says, "We managed to find decent cuts of the ore you asked for." To support his claim, he places the party's best samples of each of the Stratum's Mine Point items onto the table. The girl immediately grabs hold of a pencil and starts sketching these samples into her large tome. ' _I'd say we did a good job._ '

"You did all this in just a day; the sun's not even done setting, yet! You explorers must be really amazing." A short time passes as the party lets the girl sketch in silence. In the meantime, they all enjoy a drink, courtesy of Mirina. "There, all done!" She turns the ore samples back over. "Today was awesome; I never dreamed that I'd get to see so many new minerals in the same day."

Clarisse chuckles at this, flexing as she says, "If you ever need to see new ones, just call for the Seekers; we got ya covered, kid."

The child nods, smiling as she replies, "OK, Ms. Rover!" After securing her belongings, she dons her backpack and prepares to set out. "I've left the reward with the nice tavern lady. Bye-bye!"

Mirina steps over at this point, chuckling to herself as she watches the child depart. "That kid might become an explorer one day." Looking to the party, she asks, "Would you guys be willing to take her under your wing if that ever happened?"

Resting a hand on her hip, Gwenivere lets out another haughty huff. "But of course, my dear Mirina; I welcome any and all potential pupils, so long as they are willing to learn."

"That's a good attitude; I can see why Fae respects you so much." She chuckles. "By the way, two new requests came in. One's from Syrik; you know the drill. The other comes from a Brouni running a local flower shop. The shop's been open for ages; the current owner is actually of the fourth generation of her family to run the place."

Valerie adopts an inquisitive stance as she asks, "Does she need a soil sample from the Third Stratum?"

"Close. It seems she found a seed in storage, one unlike anything she's ever seen before. She can't get it grow, however." Cyrus and Lissa slam their palms to their faces. "I…guess you two know where this is going."

Lissa adopts an exasperated countenance as she asks, "Does that seed really have a chance in the Fetid Necropolis of all places? The Primitive Jungle at least made contextual sense." She receives the seed from Mirina, sighing as she secures it with the Guild's essentials. "Don't worry; we'll get this done."

The party takes its leave to head to the marketplace. Syrik appears to be busier than usual, what with the large gathering of explorers around his stall. The party is left waiting for close to 15 minutes for their turn, eliciting a relieved sigh from Syrik when he realizes that they're next. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys." Clarisse rests the bag of materials onto the counter, smirking at him, but offering no real reply. "Always a pleasure."

Valerie says, "We accepted your request, too."

"Excellent. I'm trying to make a Sapling Hat; I only need a single fine sapling to make it. I'll be counting on you, like always."

After purchasing a new scythe for Valerie, the Seekers finally return to Jenetta's Inn. The owner can be seen tending to what appears to be a new kitten. She looks to the party, her smile ever present. "This good little girl showed up in front of the inn a few moments ago!" The kitten looks to the party and gives a single mew in greeting; the Seekers wave in kind. "She doesn't have any parents or an owner, so I decided to take her in."

Cyrus crouches down to scratch beneath the kitten's chin, causing her to purr. "I'm certain you'll like it here, little one; Jenetta is a wonderful caretaker."

"I have years of experience. After all, I'm already taking care of a stray who's more troublesome than all of the cats in Iorys…my older sister." Cyrus snickers at this, prompting the kitten to look up at him with a confused expression. "So how was the 11th floor?" Clarisse groans in response. "That bad, huh?"

Cyrus shakes his head, looking to Jenetta as he says, "The enemies themselves don't seem to be too dangerous, but we need to train a bit more before heading back up there." Rising to his feet, he looks amongst his comrades. "We'll refrain from exploring the 12th floor for the evening; spend this respite how you please." Looking to Clarisse, he says, "You should probably take it easy tonight."

"Huh? I'm fine, Co." For a moment, he simply stares at her, though she can't get a read on what thoughts flow through his mind. "That first Bone Archer was just a fluke; we trounced the one that showed up after that."

"A fluke is all it takes for one of us to die, Clarisse; I don't want that happening again."

"Wait, were you really that worried about me?" He smirks at her, soon letting out a chuckle before turning to depart from the inn. "Hey, don't you walk away from me!" As if to heed her demand, he simply disappears from sight altogether, causing the kitten to jump a whole foot into the air before running over to Jenetta. Clarisse takes to growling, unsure of if Cyrus is even present to hear what she has to say next. "This isn't what I meant, either!" When she looks to see Valerie walking towards the exit, she asks, "Where you off to, Princess?"

"I'm gonna go train with the Chief. There's a scythe Skill I want to work towards, but it probably won't be ready for awhile." She takes her leave after this, for Clarisse doesn't seem inclined to pry any further. She makes way for the back of the inn, where she can see that Cyrus is already working on his drawing slashes. Valerie activates her Miasma Armor, giving her mentor pause as he turns to face her. "You were really afraid of losing her, you know; you had that same look of fear in your eyes that we have when something horrible happens to you."

He looks away from her, ashamed to admit the truth of her claim. "I don-"

"I know you don't end up that way on purpose, Chief; we all know that." She takes a step closer. "What Skill are you working on?"

"I need to perfect Haze Slash; I'm thinking about sacrificing action speed in exchange for a better success rate." Without looking to her, he can tell that she's busy glaring at him. "Yeah, I know; it's still better than offering my own vitality in exchange for improvements, right?" She sighs at this. "I'm a bit conflicted on how I should next proceed."

"How so?"

"I really want to focus on learning Helm Splitter, but Petal Scatter is the Air Blade upgrade I've been waiting for. I'll have either ready by the time you learn Fatal Reap, but I can only choose one."

"What's Petal Scatter like?"

"It's a ranged slash attack that strikes all enemies on the field. It apparently requires a great deal of the user's focus, so its power decreases in proportion to the amount of enemies there are. It stops decreasing once you start aiming at four enemies, so if we ever have to deal with five, we're technically not losing anything."

"Actually, I've been wondering…can your Skills land critical hits? Or does that take way too much of your focus to pull off in a fight? I haven't been able to land one outside of basic swings."

"I believe I'm the only one in the Guild who can land crits with Skills, and it's only while I'm acting as a Masurao."

She crosses her arms, frowning as she says, "This world's rules are confusing." She shrugs afterwards, readying her scythe. "Oh well. Mind if I train with you?" He smiles, taking a step back to grant her practicing space. "As if you'd ever refuse." For the next hour, the two practice footwork and easing into a damage rotation. Valerie's focus is finding and acting upon instances where Cyrus takes a swing with his weapon, followed by intentionally leaving his defenses open as he retreats. She jumps in as he falls back, delivering an aerial downward strike with her scythe, and then makes her own escape via a puff of smoke. As she reappears, she can be seen exhaling before resting her scythe on her shoulder. "Even with the speed boost provided by this Miasma Armor, it's really difficult keeping up with you."

He sheathes his katana, stepping over to his apprentice. "I have been at this for far longer than you, Valerie."

She sighs at the notion, "Yeah, and you're better adjusted to my rhythm than I am to yours." She motions to reach for her scythe, but stops when she senses the presence of someone drawing near. Her attention is directed to a cluster of trees in the distance, from which Evelyn emerges. Valerie shades her eyes at this as her expression goes blank. "Why were you hiding behind that tree?"

Evelyn pushes her fingers together, her head lowered to keep the two from seeing the blush on her face. "I was…watching you both train."

Resting a hand on his hip, Cyrus frowns as he asks, "Why didn't you just join us?"

"Eh? You would have allowed that?" The expression he adopts suggests that he's confused as to why she thinks he'd refuse her presence, a notion that only causes Evelyn's blush to intensify. "I, well…" She takes a deep breath, exhaling as he grabs hold of her katana. "Please spar with me!"

"Very well. You shall be Valerie's combat partner." Evelyn looks up to him, adopting a look of confusion as Cyrus eases into a drawing stance. She glances to the right to see that Valerie is easing into her stance in turn. "You will fight as a team; come at me with all you have." A suddenly oppressive atmosphere overtakes the area, which brings a smirk to Valerie's face as the grip on her weapon tightens. "Show me the results of your training with Ren."

Evelyn is not given a proper chance to process all of this, leaving an incredibly shocked expression plastering across her face when she realizes that Cyrus is suddenly in front of her, katana drawn and in the midst of a downward swing. Valerie soon motions into view, blocking Cyrus' attack with her scythe. ' _Wait, hold on. OK, Eve, get your head in the game; he's clearly not holding back._ ' As Cyrus jumps away from Valerie, Evelyn can see that the runic pattern in his left eye is glowing yellow. ' _Is he using ma-_ ' she gasps, realizing, "He's gonna use Bolt Slash!" She dashes in, assuming a defensive stance in order to block Cyrus' next strike with her sheathed katana. To her surprise, the electricity doesn't shock her, and instead seems to disperse almost immediately.

Valerie steps in to whisper, "Catch your bearings; I'll keep him at bay." She then charges on ahead without hearing Evelyn's potential reply. She takes several swings at Cyrus, only to miss each one. One particular swing extends too far, leaving her defenses open. Cyrus sheathes his katana as he steps into another drawing slash, but this proves to give Valerie enough time to rotate the scythe in her grip to block his blade. Evelyn takes this as an opportunity to deliver a downward slash, only to have her attack blocked by Cyrus' scabbard. Valerie clicks her tongue in frustration at this. ' _He did always warn me that enemies could take advantage of my own abilities._ '

Evelyn motions into a sweeping slash aimed at Cyrus' feet; though her attack misses the mark, she succeeds in driving him away from the immediate area. "I know this will be an odd question, but does he have any weaknesses we can use?"

"He's weak to the elements of Light and Fire; Poison is particularly effective on him as well."

"Eh? I don't want to kill him!"

"Of course not; neither do I. That said, Toxic Reap will probably be our best bet."

Glancing at Cyrus, Evelyn can see that he's patiently awaiting their next move. "You promise it won't kill him?"

"Hey, I love my Chief; I'd never try to end his life."

"Aw, thanks, bestie!"

She turns her attention to him, a blush and pout upon her countenance. "You still owe me!"

"I mean, I really don't; you were trying to steal my food, remember?" He shrugs. "Whatever. I'll just cook you whatever you want after this is over; is that acceptable?" Valerie's expression darkens as her Miasma Armor blankets the area into an even deeper darkness. A wicked smirk is upon her face, though only Evelyn can see it. "Uh…Valerie?" She is then suddenly upon him, swinging her scythe downward. A faint purple trail can be seen on the path her blade just followed. Cyrus exhales as he barely avoids this strike. ' _I should not have made that offer._ ' He can now see the expression Valerie wears; there is a predatory glare in her eyes, and her smirk is anything but cheerful. ' _Mistakes were made._ '

Before he can formulate a proper plan to rectify this mistake, a presence suddenly appears behind him. His eyes widen as he realizes he'd completely lost track of Evelyn, but it's too late, for she has her katana drawn and pointed at his back. When he glances back, Evelyn can see that his left eye is now glowing purple. ' _He was probably going to warp or flash step out of here._ ' She grins, attempting to look smug despite her pervasive nervousness. "You let your guard down."

As if to acknowledge this, Cyrus slowly raises his right arm as his left disperses; a smile is upon his lips as he says, "I suppose so." He sighs, though it quickly transitions into a chuckle. "I'm a man of my word, if nothing else. You may both state your culinary preference; as promised, I shall cook a meal to satiate your hunger."

"Huh? But you made that promise to Valerie, not m-"

Cyrus grabs hold of her hand and starts pulling her towards the inn. "Hush, now; why refuse free food?" When the three step into the inn, they are greeted by a most confusing sight. Some sort of towering forest sprite, one composed of ice and lightning, stands at the entrance of the kitchen. It looks incredibly similar to the Spriggan of the Third Stratum, but it is much taller and has properly developed hands and feet. The creature has both of its hands locked with Amy's as the two engage in a power struggle. ' _I'm surprised she's struggling._ ' Looking to the left, Jenetta can be seen hiding behind a couch, cheering Amy on alongside Friedrich and the new kitten.

"Go get 'em, Amy!" She takes notice of Cyrus and the others, waving to them as she shouts, "So Clarisse kinda goofed while cooking and created whatever that is; help."

Valerie and Cyrus adopt incredulous expressions, alternating their gazes between Jenetta and the dual sprite. The former asks, "Are you serious? Where's Clarisse?!" Jenetta points to the kitchen, which is currently blocked off by a wall of ice. Beyond the barrier is Clarisse, who waves to the trio; as Valerie waves back, she shakes her head in disappointment. "And I thought Terri was a bad cook."

"Now, now, Valerie; we don't know if Clarisse's cooking has ever killed anyone."

"I'm pretty sure that thing can kill people, Chief."

"You two are awfully calm about this; what should we do?"

To her surprise, Cyrus casually walks over to the sprite and asks, "May I ask why you're fighting my sister?"

"Protecting creator." Its voice is distinctly disjointed. "This woman…hostile." Cyrus snickers at this, causing Amy to look at him with a frown on her face. "Must protect creator."

"I'll talk her down, so please relent your offense." The creation looks to him, soon nodding. He smiles at this, looking to Amy as he says, "We're good now, sister; you can let him go." She looks at him, dumbfounded; a moment passes before she sighs in compliance, releasing her grip on the creature and taking a wide step back. The creature disperses the ice barrier it had previously setup, allowing Clarisse to step out of the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, Balto is at her side, retaining his usual calm demeanor. "I wish to know how you pulled this one off."

She crosses her arms as a blush forms on her face. "Shut up, Co." She turns her head away from him, letting out a huff. "It's not like this was for you or anything." She momentarily glances to see a grin on his face. "You grin like an asshole, you know that?"

"My second wife often says the same thing." Looking to the sprite, he asks, "Have you decided what you plan to do with him? Does he have a name?"

"Huh? I…haven't thought about it?" She looks to her creation and asks, "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Your intentions…are clear."

"…wait, I understood that." She then slams the bottom of her fist to an open palm. "I've got it; Imma take you home so you can be our new security guard."

Balto interjects, "Excuse me?! What will become of me?!"

"You're too busy exploring with me to guard mom and dad."

"It's not as if the grand mistress needs guarding; she's the strongest fighter in the household."

"I will…guard home."

Clarisse brings her hands together as a smile forms on her face. "Great, then it's decided." She grabs hold of the sprite's hand and begins leading him towards the inn's exit. "Come along, Balto." As she passes by Cyrus, she tries to form a snarl, but can only awkwardly smirk at him. "Not a word, Co."

"You haven't had dinner yet, right? What do you desire?"

She stares at him for a moment before looking away entirely. Her voice is barely audible as she replies, "Beef stew…extra celery." When he leans in to hear her properly, she wraps an arm around his neck and pulls him closer in a manner most aggressive. Her grip gradually loosens as she lets out a sigh. "Beef stew with extra celery…thanks. I guess I owe you double."

"Oh no, not at all; your tsundere act is all the payment I need, my dear Clarisse." He is promptly slammed onto the floor, letting out a loud groan. "You could be a little less emphatic with the tsun…ugh." The next day, the party ascends to the 12th floor to begin their exploration. Unlike the floor below, the ground here is littered with dangerous toxic marshes. "Hm, perhaps we should wait until nighttime."

Gwenivere shakes her head to the notion. "There might be locations where the sun's rays are focused; we would be better off marking such areas." She snaps her fingers, casting Levitation onto her party. "We shall not be mired by mere damage tiles. Such trite matters should remain beneath us where they belong."

Chuckling at this, Valerie looks back and says, "You're fired up this morning, Milady."

"I had a most delicious breakfast, and my slumber was simply divine. I am quite ready to slay some fools." The others stare at her in surprise, save for Cyrus. When she looks around to realize this, she adopts a sheepish expression and asks, "Was that not the correct saying? I could have sworn I did not mishear that tavern patron…"

Lissa looks to Cyrus, shading her eyes into a leer. "Is this normal?" He nods, to which she shrugs. "Never mind, then. Let's get moving." Moving further away from the staircase brings with it an acrid stench. "Ugh, those are undoubtedly the marshes at work." She looks to Cyrus, whose expression suggests that he is currently in a state of distress. "You alright, dear?"

"Why must I switch between three colors…"

She looks around, realizing just how irregularly the toxic marshes are spread about. It isn't until she and her comrades retrieve 2500 ental from a treasure chest that she understands Cyrus' plight. "This must be a nightmare for you." Looking to Gwenivere, she asks, "Should we cast Invisibility as well? I don't think Random Encounters are going to make this any easier for him."

"It's his call to make."

"Conserve your TP, Milady."

She shakes her head. "This isn't a tabletop RPG, love; you can't jus- very well. I'll keep my TP usage light as you have requested." Looking to Lissa, she asks, "Is he always like this?" Lissa nods, to which Gwenivere crosses her arms and chuckles. "I suppose some things have to remain consistent." Her attention is caught by the sound of barking; Balto has yet to be summoned, a notion that instantly raises alarms. Approaching the party is a trio of enemies; two Petite Spriggans occupy the rear line, with one of them being a Rare Breed; at the fore is the reanimated corpse of a small dog. Gwenivere reels back at the sight, disgusted beyond words. "By the gods."

The creature's fur is completely gone, leaving behind only the still rotting grayish-green flesh. The underside of its body is pink, as are its legs, likely from being exposed to the floor's toxic marshes. A silver object is embedded within the back of its head, and is presumably the reason why said head performs a full rotation on occasion. Its gaze is empty; only a pair of featureless yellow eyes rests within its sockets. Cyrus gives a sad sigh at the sight, quickly realizing that the dog is completely unaware of its status. As electricity sparks from his scabbard, he says, "Leave the dog to me; Milady, use Tri-Magic to secure the kill on the Spriggans."

When the battle is over, Clarisse pulls out her whistle and summons Balto. While waiting for her companion to make his way over here, she looks to Cyrus and asks, "Co, what's the matter?"

"That dog was unaware of the fact that it's dead." He says nothing further, instead choosing to resume charting this floor; during this process, he digs up an ancient firearm, which is stored with the Guild's essentials after the dirt is brushed off. When the initial area is deemed complete, they proceed through the door waiting at the southern end. Within is a large atrium with a plethora of doors to choose from. Cyrus frowns at this. "Oh bloody Hell, not again."

They are approached by Solor and Lili, with the former smirking as she says, "I had heard you guys cleared the 11th floor before sundown yesterday."

"Solor was super upset that you didn't come up here to explore with her." Solor starts pulling at her cheeks in an effort to admonish her comrade. "Augh, stop it! It's true!" Solor releases her comrade, though it is not done out of admittance to the claim.

"I'm surprised you're keeping it together up here. Now then, I have some good news, and some bad news; you're getting the bad news first." Lissa and Clarisse roll their eyes at this, not that Solor is bothered by the notion. "An urgent situation came up at the Council Hall; it's about this Stratum, obviously." She smirks as she follows, "The good news is that I know of a Guild that can handle the issue." She points her scythe at the party; "That would be you guys."

Cyrus chuckles at this, resting his conjured arm on the hilt of his katana as he asks, "I take it you two are drawing close to something on this Stratum that you've been searching for, which is why you can't help out?" Solor's gaze shades into a fierce leer at this, though Cyrus doesn't seem deterred. "Solor, I've been doing this for years; give me some credit."

Lili asks, "So how much do you know?"

"Admittedly? Nothing at all. Judging from this Stratum though, and how it's as far as Iorys has progressed, I can hazard a guess or two. The one that rests at the front of my mind is that the two of you lost a friend up here. That friend, considering this place can raise the dead, could be a zombie, a pawn of the Stratum Boss, or the Stratum Boss itself." Solor and Lili stare at him blankly, though their expressions offer no definite answer. "I'm hoping it's not the last one; I'd hate to sour the friendship we've built; I barely managed to avoid that in Etria and Tharsis."

Lili glances at Solor to see that her partner is just as curious; though she hesitates, she asks, "You didn't have to kill your friends…right?"

"Not in this world, no." She reels back at this, taking in the implications as one would expect her to. "It's one of my greatest failures, Lili; I'm not proud of what I had to do in the War of Erdboden." He shakes his head. "Your business is your own; we'll do what we can to stay out of your way, but if you're in trouble, don't hesitate to call upon us."

Solor nods in reply, electing to speak so that Lili doesn't have to. "We'll keep that in mind. By the way, the stairway to the next floor is just beyond this northern door; remember that for when you're done helping the Council."

Cyrus voices his assent to this, pulling out an Ariadne Thread so that his party can depart. Before he can unravel it, Lili speaks up; "Wait…were the two of you…close?"

"I treated him as if he was the little brother I never had."

"Oh…I see." The Seekers then depart, bidding the two a solemn farewell. When they are warped out the Labyrinth, Lili turns to Solor and asks, "Do you think they can help us?"

"It's possible; I mean, I think they're capable to a degree. Let's just…" She rests a hand on Lili's head, smiling down at her comrade as she follows, "Let's just wait and see, OK?" Lili nods, turning away so that she and Solor can continue further into the area.

The party arrives at the Council Hall, where Ramus stands ready to meet them. "Greetings, Seekers; I take it you are here for the mission?" The party nods. "This will prove to be difficult; aside from Solor and Lili, I'd say your Guild is the only one qualified to handle this."

Stepping forward, Lissa asks, "What would you have us do, sire?"

"The details come from the imperial capital." Seeing Lissa and Clarisse adopt surprised expressions, he can only nod in turn. "Indeed, 'tis a matter of great import. I have mentioned the war of Yggdrasil a few times now, but the truth is that we don't know much about it. There was a great Dragoon who participated in this war; the capital wishes for capable explorers to search the Third Stratum to retrieve his belongings."

Lissa thinks on this for a moment before saying, "I believe I know of this Dragoon; Logan told me about him. He was royalty, and went to battle clad in legendary gear, yes?"

"You are well-informed, Elizabeth. According to legend, the royal family received that gear from the golden dragon that guarded the Earth in ancient times."

"Hm, I wonder if that same dragon is related to the Storm Emperor."

"Do you believe in such tales, Cyrus?"

"It comes with the territory, your highness. Erdboden is managed by a group of dragon gods, all of which are quite real, and interact with the populace on a regular basis."

"You speak truly? That is quite interesting. I'm sure you've realized by now that our world is far less involved with our deities; their very existence has been called into question." When Cyrus and Lissa claim to have met a few of these deities, Ramus can't help but laugh. "The lives you explorers live sound so grand. Do you ever grow tired of the surprises?"

"Not at all, sire; Yggdrasil always manages to impress. Pray tell, how much of the Dragoon's gear must we recover?"

"We are in need of his gun, great shield, armor, and helm."

Valerie looks to the bag slung over her shoulder and says, "Well, I think we found the gun; three left to go."

"You…have already recovered one of the Dragoon's effects?" He smiles, nodding to himself as a chuckle escapes him. He hands the party four notes. "Though you have already found one of the artifacts, I hope the remaining notes will be of service to you. Good luck, Seekers."

The party returns to the 12th floor, grouping together to look over the contents of their notes. Clarisse frowns at the first of these notes, which makes mention of a hidden passage somewhere on the floor. "That's gonna be a pain in the ass." She takes out her whistle to summon Balto, feeling drained from the effects of her whistle. Upon feeling a hand rest on her shoulder, she chuckles, not needing to look back to see who it is. "I'm made of tougher stuff than that, Co." Once Balto joins the group, Gwenivere casts both Levitate and Invisibility, which the party thanks her for shortly before the trek begins.

They return to the grand atrium located at the floor's bottom center and proceed through the northern door. The staircase is here, true to Solor's claim; the Seekers do not proceed to the next floor, instead searching for a hidden passage amongst the graves. They do not find such a passage, departing from this room with disappointed expressions on their faces. They step through the door that is directly across from their original entrance to the atrium, entering a small corridor lined with a few grave markers and trees.

Looking around, Cyrus says, "The notes are likely using the compass directions to designate specific regions of the floor." He gestures around him, drawing attention to the corridor around them. "That would make the 'northeast' correspond to the entirety of the area beyond the door we just stepped through." He then bumps into something, causing him to reflexively turn around and offer an apology. "Beg your pardon…" He then realizes that he just bumped into a tree not unlike the Ropers of the Tutelary Forest; the largest difference is that this creature's vines are hands. Two Zombie Mutts join the battle in turn, prompting Cyrus to rest his hand on his katana and call for battle. One of these dogs is a Rare Breed.

Lissa preemptively setup a bunker while the enemies were distracted. She looks to Clarisse and says, "You and Balto should bind the arms of that tree." Seeing that Cyrus and Gwenivere are already readying their electric attacks, she looks to Valerie and says, "Help out Clarisse with Wilting Miasma." The enemy proves to be quite resilient, with the Eerie Choker managing to extend its branch to grab Lissa by the neck and hoist her into the air. She drops her firearm in an attempt to ease this creature's grip on her, but loses strength as she starts losing air. ' _Should've dropped the shield instead…shit._ '

After slaying the Rare Breed, Cyrus sheathes his katana and looks over to Gwenivere. She nods to him, though no verbal orders are exchanged. He takes a step forward, drawing his weapon again. Four copies seem to split from either side of him before they all disappear from sight completely. By this point, Gwenivere has readied her staff to cast a fireball, though she holds it at bay. In an instant, the Eerie Choker's branch is severed, and Lissa is held in Cyrus' arms; Gwenivere takes this chance to unleash her spell, which brings an end to both the tree and the remaining dog.

Setting Lissa down, Cyrus checks her neck for injuries. Though he finds nothing that will last, he asks, "Are you alright, Lissa?"

"Yeah, thanks for the save." He exhales in relief at this, to which she laughs. "I guess that situation looked pretty bad, huh?" He chuckles at this, though the worry is still evident upon his expression. "I'm kinda surprised you can carry me like this; my armor isn't exactly light."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm actually kneeling."

She looks down to see that his claim is true, and that his other leg is slightly shaky. "Hm, so you are." The party continues forward, soon finding the hidden passage. Curiously, the passage is marked by a skull with glowing blue eyes pierced upon a spike jutting from the ground. Lissa holds her hand out to it, allowing both her and the rest of the party to be warped to the other side of the wall they were just looking at. Beyond the wall is a secluded island surrounded on all sides by a toxic marsh and a raised platform housing a myriad of graves. Lissa points directly ahead to a sheet of metal that has been thrust into the ground as if it were another grave marker; "That's probably our shield."

The party approaches the sheet to brush off the dirt and moss covering it. There is not much to be done about the rust at present, but the sheet of metal is indeed a tower shield. They carefully store it along with the firearm before departing. Instead of heading back to the grand atrium, the party elects to explore the remainder of this northeastern area. After proceeding through a significant stretch of toxic marsh, they reach an incredibly small stretch of land where a wild deer stands.

Clarisse shakes her head at the sight. "We should probably kill it; I mean, it's separated from its herd and it's essentially stranded. It's only 11AM, too; I'm not sure if this deer will last until nightfall when the toxic marshes disappear." She looks over to see Cyrus and Gwenivere approach the deer, the former striking up conversation. Sighing, Clarisse can only look to Lissa as she says, "I appreciate their empathy towards animals, but you have to be practical at times, right?"

Valerie crosses her arms, looking to her comrade as she says, "Those two met because Lady Gwenivere was in that deer's position once; the sentiment runs pretty deep, I'd imagine." The duo returns, informing their comrades that they've offered some of their vegetables to the deer in hopes that it will hold out until nightfall. "Will it be alright after that?"

Gwenivere returns to the rear line as she says, "I'm afraid that is out of our control; we can only hope the deer will be favored by the rules of nature. Personally, I'm more than a little upset that my Levitation spell didn't work on it."

The party departs from here, soon arriving at a dead end where a leafy plant grows beneath the shadow of an old iron rail. Upon closer inspection, the party identifies it as Mandrapotato. They choose to refrain from harvesting any of it in favor of proceeding forward. Not long after, they encounter a stray dog that isn't a zombie. The dog appears to be injured, but Clarisse and Balto are able to heal its leg with little trouble. After feasting upon some roasted meat offered by Valerie, the dog seems to have regained enough strength to continue searching for its owner. Strangely, it doesn't follow behind the Seekers, despite their offer.

Around 2PM, the party loops around to arrive at the door they used to enter this area. A treasure chest rests at the end of a long stretch, and houses within it a pendant that emits a bright flash when one presses the button upon the pendant's face. Valerie is still reeling from accidently triggering this flash when the pendant was dangerously close to her face. She sits on the sideline with Clarisse while the others harvest from the floor's second Chop Point.

Cyrus holds up four samples of a vine that uses animals as hosts. These are carefully stored away; "Balto, be sure to stay an appropriate distance from me until I hand these over to Syrik." The Hound nods in reply.

Gwenivere procures two samples of what appears to be a very recent sapling that has somehow taken full root within the Stratum's soil. "Well, we can consider Syrik's quest complete." She looks over to Lissa, who is making a disgruntled face at the wood she has procured. "Lissa? Is something the matter?" Lissa replies by holding up a unit of wood, which has skull-like patterns in its grain. "That…is unsettling." With the inventory nearing capacity, the party warps out of the Stratum. The marketplace shall be their first destination.


	23. Where Wraiths Wander

**Chapter 23: Where Wraiths Wander**

The sun is still high in the sky when the Seekers arrive at Syrik's stall. The hour is barely past 2PM; before dropping off the bulk of their materials, the party hands over the Fine Saplings the merchant originally requested. "You guys never disappoint." He gestures around him, directing the party's attention to a slew of new wares that are put on display. Despite his cheer, he sighs, his expression momentarily shifting to become forlorn. When asked about this, he quickly corrects his face, smiling to the party once again. "Oh, uh, it's nothing! Nothing at all! Don't worry about it, OK guys?"

The others motion to depart, reluctantly paying respect to Syrik's wishes. Cyrus alone remains, hesitant to leave matters thus. "Syrik, if something's troubling you, you shouldn't feel afraid to talk to us. I'd like to think of us as friends, not just business partners." He turns away to join with his comrades, not giving Syrik a chance to reply. ' _It'll be better if he thinks on it for a bit._ ' Stepping into the Twilight Tavern, he waves to Mirina as he says, "We have a report to turn in, Matron." After informing her of Syrik's fulfilled request, he follows, "I know this is sudden, but can I ask you to monitor Syrik's behavior when he makes his next request?"

"Sure, but why? Did something happen?"

"His chipper demeanor was distinctly absent when we were at his stall; he brushed it off, leaving no room for discussion."

"Hm, that's not like him." She nods. "I'll keep an eye out." She then places a Sapling Hat onto Cyrus' head, taking a step back to judge the ensemble. "Yeah…I think that looks quite nice on you."

"Are you trying to pretty me up, Matron?"

"Oh, no, not at all; Gwen there once said that you always wore a fedora. That matches the stories that were told of you, so I wanted to see for myself." She chuckles, noting that, "It may not be an exact match, but I think this is fine."

Removing the hat, Cyrus gives a chuckle of his own. "I think this hat would be better suited for Fae; I hear that this one brings good luck…not to mention that she'll look adorable." As he rests the hat onto Gwenivere's head, he plants a kiss on her cheek before turning to Mirina. "Milady looks quite fetching, too. By the way, could you inform the Celestrian patron that it'll be awhile before her quest is complete? We're searching for a third skeleton-based monster to make sure the job is thorough."

"I'll be sure to pass the message along."

With this, the Seekers depart. A brief visit is paid to Jenetta's Inn, where the Sapling Hat is left with Fae. The last thing the party can hear as the door closes behind them is Amy's squee of joy, followed by Fae eliciting a yelp of surprise. The party stares back at the door for a moment, but then collectively decides that the situation will sort itself out. Thus begins the trek back to the 12th floor of Yggdrasil. Upon arriving at the grand atrium, the party is given three doors to choose from.

Looking amongst the options available, Valerie points her scythe to southwestern door; "How about that one?" Pointing to the southeastern option, she follows, "I remember the FOE Radar reacting to something when we were getting that treasure chest; I'm not feeling an FOE encounter right about now." Glancing at Clarisse, she says, "I don't think our Rover has recovered from using that whistle yet, either."

"You don't have to worry about me, Princess; I'm fine."

Cyrus steps up to the southwestern door, pushing it open as he says, "We'll follow Valerie's suggestion. Let's move." A sigh escapes him soon after, for a pile of bones rests just beyond the cramped passageway leading into the area. "Great, an FOE." He finds that Clarisse has taken hold of his conjured arm, and is pulling forward rather than retreating. "Huh? Uh, Clarisse?!"

"We are not falling back; let's get this done!" The Skelesword is easily dealt with, given that there is an area bathed in sunlight directly next to its spawning ground. The second Skelesword, which rests a mere five minutes away, is in a similar position, and likewise gets vaporized by the sun. Looking back to her comrades, Clarisse rests a hand on her hip. "Y'all are gonna learn to not underestimate me."

"We're being cautious, Clarisse." She ignores this, grabbing him by the hand once more as she pulls him along. ' _Why me, exactly?_ ' He refrains from asking this aloud, resigning to his fate. By 5PM, the party reaches the dead end of this area; true to the note in their possession, something is here. A stone monument rises from the ground; ancient engravings are upon it, and are surprisingly legible. Cyrus takes up the endeavor of reading the marker's contents. "On this battlefield, where the blood of heroes soaks the very ground, are the four effects of one exceptional warrior. We leave these items in the hopes that others will one day return to these war-torn lands and take them back down to Earthlain civilization."

Lissa procures a shovel, taking aim at a section of the ground directly in front of the monument. "Let's begin." Not much time passes before she removes a set of armor from the earth. Though caked in dirt, the armor still looks quite sturdy; Lissa lets out a sharp whistle at the sight. "Now this is a fine suit." As she stores it with the other portions of the Dragoon's effects, she says, "I bet it'd be usable after a bit of service. Oh well. One more to go, right? I think we have to hit that southeastern door now, but I am curious about the one on the southern-most edge."

6PM strikes as the party returns to the atrium and steps through the southeastern door. Gwenivere's expression sinks into a frown as she takes note of a distant area bathed in the sun's rays. "We might not make it; with the sun soon to set, we'll have to deal with the FOEs in a different manner." She takes hold of the last note in the party's possession. "The last article should be within the hollow of a large tree." Taking another look about the area, she notes how large and open it is. Graves still line the ground, as do discarded bones, decaying trees, and rust-laden weapons, but the area is otherwise quite spacious. "I imagine many battles were waged here."

Lissa nods, a frown upon her countenance. "Not a favorable spot for my tastes; there's basically no cover." A short trek further into the clearing reveals why the room is setup this way. Before the Seekers is a line consisting of enough bones to form four Skeleswords. "You have got to be shitting me. The sun is about to set." She watches as Cyrus steps up to the Skeleswords closest to the bottom edge of the clearing. He summons them both, much to the shock of his comrades. "Cyrus, what are you doing?!"

After baiting the two undead warriors into the sunlight, he looks to his comrades and gives a single order. "Run." As they push past the region from whence the Skeleswords spawned, two more emerge to give chase once again. For some strange reason, these two simply vanish into thin air once the party gains enough distance. "That's…peculiar. We didn't even lure them into the sunlight." He shakes this off in favor of proceeding to the dead end up ahead. Here, a large tree is present; inside a cavity within the tree is a helmet, which Cyrus stores with the rest of the ancient gear. "That makes four. Let's head back; we can map the room beyond that last door upon our return since we need to hit that second Chop Point anyway."

The sun has fully set by the time the party returns to Prince Ramus. They place the gear upon a table, allowing the prince to study each piece. "So, this is the gear that Dragoon wore during his final battle. I shall arrange for a secure transport; you have my thanks, Seekers." He then hands Cyrus a bag containing 9000 ental, which the party graciously accepts. "May I trouble you lot for a moment?" The group looks to him, each smiling. "This concerns Solor and Lili. I hear that the two have been preoccupied with their exploration of the Fetid Necropolis. Though I trust in their skill, members of the guard corps and even other explorers are becoming worried."

Cyrus nods to this, replying, "We expressed similar concerns to them. We'll try to speak with them again; though they will likely refuse assistance, I doubt they'll turn a blind eye to the people."

His word given, Cyrus departs from the Council Hall with his party and returns to Jenetta's Inn for a brief respite. Upon returning to the 12th floor, the Chop Point yield is relatively light, much to the party's displeasure. Beyond the final southern door is a dry clearing that seems suitable for setting up camp. The party dons a collective frown at this, considering they just took a break. Conrad shows up before too long, with most of the Freeblade Guild beside him. The two parties exchange greetings before Conrad explains that his Guild had recently setup camp at this very location.

"Abel was sent out to scout the area a while ago; since he has yet to come back, we're going to search for him. You should feel free to make use of this camp site."

Clarisse stretches, letting out a groan before replying, "We just took a break at Jenetta's; I appreciate it, though. You need help looking for Abel?"

Oriana snickers at this. "That muscle head? The only thing I'm worried about is the possibility of him getting stronger than me." She takes another look at the party, quickly noticing Cyrus' change in gear. "Are you no longer a Fencer, Cyrus?"

"I double enlisted, fair dame; this party setup benefits more with me acting as a Masurao."

"Double enlist? That must be taxing; I can hardly imagine trying to manage two fundamentally different roles."

Jilian rests a hand on her hip, looking concerned as she says, "It must be quite exacting on your mental state. Considering how often you visit the Labyrinth, I'm surprised you haven't collapsed from exhaustion." Lissa and Gwenivere glare at him, though Cyrus does not turn around to address this. Jilian giggles at the notion. "My, my; I didn't mean to put you in a spot, Cyrus."

"I was bound to put myself in one sooner or later, so pay it no heed." He motions for his team to follow after him as he makes way to depart from this clearing. "Conrad, if you need help finding Abel, be sure to give us a call; we likely won't progress too far on the next floor." Conrad nods in reply, but says nothing.

The ascending staircase ends at a narrow passageway lined with raised tombstones. The map makes note of an FOE quite a ways off from the party. It seems to completely fade from existence on occasion, which strikes the party as odd. Up ahead is Lili, who currently leans against a tree as she patiently awaits something, potentially Solor. When the Seekers step up to her, she snaps back to the present and looks to address them. Her expression is notably somber, a stark contrast to her usual cheer. "I've been waiting for you." Before anyone can speak, she continues, "Now that you've made it this far, there's something I want to ask you."

Cyrus stares at her for a moment. Her gaze seems to suggest that she knows the party won't refuse, and yet the question lingers upon the still air all the same. "How may we assist you, Lili?"

She nods to him. "This is about…a certain Necromancer." Her countenance takes a shift to convey torture. Whatever subject has been broached, it leaves her distressed. She continues to speak, her voice likewise taking a grave tone. "For generations, my clan among the Celestrians has been hunting a rogue spellcaster. This man stole a powerful artifact from the Sorcerer's Tower in my homeland."

Clarisse expresses surprise at this, crossing her arms as she says, "I'm surprised he made it out of the tower alive; I hear that place is heavily guarded."

"The relic he stole is too deadly to be allowed outside the safety of the Tower; it must be returned, no matter the cost. I am merely the latest in a long line of searchers."

Gwenivere frowns at this. "Is this Necromancer truly so elusive?"

"The findings of my ancestors led me to this Labyrinth; that is why I came here with Solor. If he is truly within Yggdrasil, he would surely be here. Solor and I haven't had any luck in our search, though." She looks to the party for a moment before looking away in shame. The pained expression she wears is impossible to hide, though the Seekers refrain from making comment. When Lili is ready to continue, she says, "Your Guild is really the only one I can ask; have you seen any suspicious people on this Stratum? Any Necromancers other than myself?"

Cyrus shakes his head. "You're the only Necromancer the Seekers have seen up here, Lili; you're the only Necromancer my Guild has met in Iorys at all." Her golden eyes look to the ground, losing much of the hopeful glint they just held a moment ago. "The…" She looks up to him again, not necessarily expecting a lead, but willing to hear him out all the same. "The citizens are worried about the two of you; they wish to help, but feel they are lacking in power to do so."

"So they've taken notice…"

"Lili, I said it before; we're willing to help you. The Seekers will keep an eye out for this Necromancer, and relay any information we find. If it comes to it, we'll apprehend him ourselves."

"I can't ask you to do that! That's much too dangerous!"

"With all due respect, this man can't be any more dangerous than the gods my Guild has faced in the past." She falls silent at this, looking towards the ground again. Her hands ball up into fists, suggesting that she wishes to offer some sort of retort. She shudders when Cyrus rests a hand on her shoulder, but doesn't look up. "We're friends, right?" She only nods in reply, which is enough to bring a smile to his face. "Then let us act as friends should." He steps away from her, proceeding forward. "Seekers, we're pressing onward; let's go." Lili offers a silent expression of gratitude as the party fades from view.

The claustrophobic structure of this floor persists, joined by a disconcerting notion that Valerie points out as Cyrus works to draw the map. "Have you noticed that the path we just took had visible traces of the toxic marshes from below?"

Clarisse looks behind her, noting a faint pink glow emanating from the path. "Yeah, actually…"

"We would have needed Levitation to cross that path if we weren't here during the evening hours. Since the FOEs are tougher to avoid at night, I'm starting to see why this city's progress was stopped here."

Lissa looks to the long corridor ahead, where the figure of a tall, floating entity can be seen. "That's not good." The party joins her to take a look at the entity, with Cyrus quickly pointing out that they're all looking at a ghost. Lissa turns her head to face him as she asks, "You're kidding, right?" As if to support Cyrus' claim, the FOE phases through the wall in front of it, disappearing from the map for a brief instant before returning to view in the hall the Seekers just occupied moments ago. "Aw Hell."

When the creature arrives at their present location, the Seekers are able to get a much better look at it. A pair of red eyes shines through the darkness granted by both the night and the hood of its cloak, which is fashioned with several runic patterns. No limbs can be seen on this creature, even as it freely floats in the air. It pays the Seekers no heed as it stays its course. The party endeavors to remain out of this ghost's path as they make west.

They soon come across a campsite at a dead end. Its placement is curious indeed, considering it lies shortly after a trail of toxic marsh. The explorers responsible for its construction would have surely chosen a more suitable ground that is a much safer distance away from such danger. What's more, the state of the area causes the Seekers to silently wonder if an ambush occurred. Debris litters the landscape, ranging from a torn tent to a discarded backpack. There are no bodies present, suggesting that the explorers who were once here managed to make their escape. Rather than investigate this ruined campsite, the party elects to continue forward.

Thanks to Cyrus' efforts to study the movement pattern of the ghost, the party is able to weave through its patrol route without engaging it in combat. As they proceed through the graveyard, they reach another dead end at the northern edge of C6. The area is no different from the usual assortment of speared fences and faded tombstones. However, what is notable is the sound of a woman sobbing, which makes the hairs of the party stand on end.

Clarisse takes a few cautious steps over to Cyrus before locking her arm in his. "OK, that's not cool; is that another ghost or is that an actual explorer?" She then lets out a shriek upon noticing a figure standing a short distance behind her. She takes a few steps back. "When the Hell?!" The figure is a woman with pale skin; she looks to be quite fragile, exuding an air of haunting beauty. She locks eyes with Clarisse, her sad gaze cast as she reaches out with a thin, white hand. She makes no effort to speak, but it is clear that she wishes for Clarisse to take hold. "Um…"

Cyrus pulls Clarisse backwards, stepping in front of her to address this figure. Her attire consists of an elegant red dress that clings to her frame, one that lacks any wear or tear and is decidedly too extravagant to properly serve as adventuring gear. She wears a regal headdress that provides a veil. A cane rests in her grip, with a few red jewels embedded within it. "Wait…" His Runic Eye takes on a red glow, signaling the presence of fire magic; "She's not an explorer." The woman's gaze turns sharp at Cyrus' comment. "Seekers, to battle!" Upon noticing that Valerie's Miasma Armor has triggered preemptively, he shouts, "Valerie, use Chaos Reap; Lissa, use Mana Guard; Milady! Magic Shield – she heavily resists the elements! Clarisse, lower her defense!"

Lissa and Gwenivere's defensive measures prove to be unnecessary, for Valerie is quick to envelop the blade of her scythe in a pink hue before charging in to slash at the creature now known as the Flame Temptress. The enemy is drawn into a panic, leaving her unable to properly cast her magic; Clarisse regains her composure and fires an arrow at the creature's shoulder. An aura briefly flashes from the Flame Temptress to note the effect of Clarisse's debuff taking root.

Lissa falls to the rear line, swapping places with Gwenivere. She slams her shield into the dirt, causing the trio up front to be enveloped in a yellow aura. Having taken a moment to focus, Cyrus charges in and draws his katana, unleashing Bolt Slash upon the target. While the enemy reels from the impact, Gwenivere charges in at her husband's side and surges her staff forward. The attack proves to be weaker than she expected, failing to finish off the Flame Temptress. Despite this, the Flame Temptress falls with just one additional strike, granting the party their victory.

Clarisse walks over to Cyrus and rests her head on his chest. "I really froze up just then; thanks for the save, Co." He places a hand on her head, pressing her just a bit closer. Though a blush forms on her face, she makes no motion to pull away. "How the Hell do you keep it together so easily?"

"I have to be ready for the times when the rest of you are caught off guard; I couldn't be the leader otherwise."

She steps away from him in order call upon Balto using her whistle. As the Hound comes into view, she exhales a sigh of relief. Looking to Cyrus, concern commands her countenance as she asks, "Who's going to be ready when you're off guard, then?"

"I trust in the rest of you to have my back when I'm caught lacking." He looks about the party as he asks, "Are we good to continue?" Everyone nods, allowing for exploration to resume. Next up is an excursion involving two ghostly FOEs. Their patrol routes are practically combined, with one ghost roaming an outer perimeter while the second covers the interior. The party weaves through this to procure the contents of a treasure chest. Within is a weathered scythe. After looking it over, Cyrus says, "Hm, this was once used to sever the feet of prisoners."

Clarisse clutches at her chest upon hearing this, her breath caught in her throat. "Why do you know that?"

"I've studied the craftsmanship of many weapons; it's part of the trade with my profession." He secures the scythe with the group's belongings before carefully leading the Seekers away from this area. Around 11PM, they escape from the patrol route of the two ghosts, allowing for a short respite at a clearing in B7. The brevity of this break is further emphasized by the arrival of more ghosts, all of whom roam the area in their intimately woven routes. "I don't like this." He repeats this sentiment as he leads his group forward, only with greater emphasis after they procure a copper ingot from a treasure chest at a dead end. ' _I haven't been this stressed by an FOE's patrol route since the Claret Hollows._ ' As he surveys the area, the occasional glimpse of a man with long silver hair and purple eyes plagues his view. The man in question makes no motion towards the party, seemingly content with just observing as his back rests on a decaying tree. Curiously, no one else takes notice of this man, and he only seems to have his gaze directed at Cyrus. After a shake of the head, the man is gone. ' _This Stratum is getting in my head._ '

This stress is readily apparent on his features, prompting Lissa to walk over to him and rest a hand on his shoulder. "Cyrus, I think you need a break."

"Not with this many of them roaming about; we have to map this and get out of here."

"Cyrus, the stress is getting to you again. Breathe." He takes in a deep breath, exhaling after holding it in for several moments. Lissa motions to take the map from him, only for it to be pulled away. She rests a hand on her hip, adopting a displeased expression. "Let me handle this; you're clearly exhausted."

"I can handle this, Elizabeth…I'm not an invalid anymore."

"W- What? You never were, Cyrus; why would you say that?" He looks away as he realizes what he just said. It takes a moment, but Lissa's memories soon return. "Come now, I know how much you hated your younger days for that, but I trust you understand that I'd never treat you that way." She takes hold of his hand, wrapping both of hers around it. "It's late, and you've been working yourself to the bone. What will it take?"

"…you can take point as soon as this gauntlet is cleared."

"I'll hold you to that."

The party reaches the center of this great expanse, which lies dangerously close to the tightest patrol route of the FOEs here. Here, they spot a Zombie Mutt; the creature has yet to take notice of them, and is currently occupied with nuzzling its face against something. The party waits to see what the creature will do; soon, Valerie points at what has the dog so focused. "That's a corpse." The dog turns around, revealing itself to be the very same dog they assisted on the previous floor. The creature wags its tail upon seeing the party again, but makes no motion to attack. "Is…is that your owner, little guy?" The dog gives a single bark, though Valerie looks to Cyrus and shakes her head. "Please don't translate."

The dog places a small bag onto the ground in front of the party, barking once more in an effort to convey its offering. Gwenivere crouches down to pick up this bag, and even pats the dog on the head in gratitude. "Thank you, little one." She rises to her feet, handing the bag over to Clarisse before taking hold of Cyrus' hand. "We're leaving." She grants no room for argument, effectively forcing the party to give the dog peace with its deceased master; she looks back to the sight, despite her heart advising otherwise. ' _That explorer may one day rise as well._ '

When 3AM rolls around, the party lets out a collective sigh of relief to finally be rid of the ghost grounds. As promised, Cyrus hands the map over to Lissa, wearing an apologetic expression as he does so. She plants a kiss on his cheek, giggling to herself as she furls the parchment. "That's just who you are, you know? You can trust me with this, just as you did back then." He nods to her, saying nothing as they walk forward as a pair. For a moment, his eyes glance to an area beyond the trees; his expression contorts to convey a sense of torture, but Lissa cannot grasp why this might be the case, for she sees nothing. When she looks back to Cyrus, his expression is neutral again, though his eyes betray a lingering distress. ' _Did I imagine that?_ '

Solor is up ahead, and greets the Seekers with her usual detached air. "You guys really don't waste time; even I'm given pause by how creepy this place is." She takes a proper glance at the party, noting Cyrus' exhaustion. "Hey, you alright over there? You look like Hell."

"I'm just a little tired; the FOEs of this floor boast patrol routes that leave me overwhelmed. I don't think the Claret Hollows were ever this confusing with the FOEs within."

Lissa frowns at this. "It didn't need to be; the warp maze of B29F was egregious enough." She shakes her head, looking to Solor to see an expression that suggests the Harbinger wishes to make an inquiry. After a moment, Lissa simply nods to the woman.

"I take it that Lili's filled you in on the man she's been searching for, right? I imagine you're all curious, so I think it's time I told you." She motions for the group to have a seat; there are plenty of tree stumps nearby, likely having been chopped down so that their materials could be harvested. Solor looks to the late-night sky, losing herself in the old tale she begins to recount. "Once upon a time, there were twin Celestrians, a pair of spell casters who lived in the Sorcerer's Tower. The elder was Crow, named for his dark eyes and ebony locks. His sister, Swan, had ivory skin, her hair as white as snow."

Crossing her arms, Valerie looks to her fellow Harbinger and asks, "Did they pursue different paths?"

"You could say that. Crow hungered for knowledge of what lies beyond the laws of nature. One fateful day, he stole the Tower's fabled Ring of Undying." Most of the party adopts a shocked countenance at this. "You can imagine the elders were pissed."

Cyrus shakes his head. "I'm surprised they allowed such a ring to continue existing at all."

"Swan was called in to assassinate her brother and retrieve the ring. The two met in battle, with Crow eventually dealing a mortal blow to his sister. He fled to a faraway land, never to be seen again. Swan's dying wish was for her children to bring an end to the traitor and recover the ring – to finish the job she could not." She looks to the party, clearly upset with the tale.

Gwenivere scoffs at this. "What rubbish. Swan's children should by no means be forced to get wrapped up in such ordeals. Given the name of that ring, I imagine this Crow is still roaming the planet…Lili is one of Swan's descendents, is she not?" Solor falls silent, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She keeps them at bay, wiping away what small drops threaten to stream from her eyes. "You needn't say any further on that front, but may I ask where you fit into this?"

"I used to be a common sell sword; I once wielded my blade without purpose. I found my calling some time ago; I now serve Lili, Swan's descendent. I'd do anything for her, but it turns out I'm not strong enough to face what lies at the end of this tale." Valerie and Gwenivere both glance at Cyrus, though they say nothing. Gwenivere in particular looks somewhat ashamed. "Is something the matter?"

Looking to Solor, Cyrus says, "I suppose you and I are similar; I was in a similar situation prior to meeting Lady Gwenivere."

"Ah, right, she's not just your wife; she's also your liege." As she looks to Gwenivere, she asks, "Why the sad expression, though? Or…am I prying?"

"Cyrus…was particularly devoted, and for the longest time I didn't actually know why. The truth didn't come to light until a decade after our life together began." Solor remains silent, not sure where this is going. "Hearing you speak so freely of your devotion to Lili reminded me of the many times Cyrus had pushed himself for my sake…and just how many times I took advantage of that loyalty."

"So what's the reason for his loyalty?"

"I met Milady when I was out in the forest preparing to end my own life." A silence falls over the group, with Solor and Clarisse going wide eyed at the notion. "It was a dark time for me; I was blinded by grief and anger."

Clarisse's expression shifts to show a slight degree of fury. "And you kept that from her?"

"From everyone, actually. I didn't know how to drop that kind of news." He shakes his head, letting out a sigh. "It didn't really matter to me, either. Gwenivere Concordia gave me a reason to believe that I wasn't useless, that my existence could serve to the benefit of at least one other person."

Finishing his thought, Solor says, "So you continued to serve her, regardless of how difficult things may have gotten for you. Yeah, I get that. Listen, this is a lot to ask, bu-"

Cyrus holds up a hand, stopping her. "Solor, I think it's safe to say that Crow is going to be the boss of this Stratum. You and Lili need the ring he holds, and we need to push ahead to the 4th Stratum. The Seekers will turn the Ring of Undying over to the two of you, should we obtain it first." He shrugs, scoffing as he follows, "Personally, I'd chuck the thing into the nearest volcano, but that's not my call to make."

She chuckles at this, though she doesn't find his claim humorous in any capacity. "You make it sound so easy; where does that confidence come from?"

"There comes a time when the matter of whether you can or can't becomes irrelevant. With the life I've lived, and by extension the life I drag my comrades into, we often face such times when we must, regardless of our ability."

"And you think now is one of those times?" He nods. "I see. I- I appreciate the help; know that I'll keep doing my part, but I won't turn you away as I've been doing. I've never considered the Seekers weak; it was a matter of trust." She rises from her seat and motions to depart. "Thank you," is all she says before taking her leave completely. The party rises in turn, their respite at an end, and a shortcut to find.

Curiously, the staircase to the 14th floor is in this clearing. The party ascends, but returns to the 13th immediately. Much to their relief, there is very little that remains beyond the staircase, allowing for Lissa to swiftly map what is left. The party unlocks the shortcut to the descending staircase, and then warps out of here using an Ariadne Thread. Jenetta's Inn awaits, as well as warm and comfortable beds.

* * *

Author's Notes: _OK, so this is more of a gameplay comment, but Cyrus' call for doubling up on Mana Guard and Magic Shield is counterproductive. The two effects do not stack. This is brought up again later, where he gets a rude awakening._


	24. An Executioner's Axe

**Chapter 24: An Executioner's Axe**

When morning comes, most of the Seekers are at the breakfast table. Cyrus is notably absent, but everyone decides it would be best to let him sleep in for a change. Jenetta rises to her feet after making sure each of her cats are properly served; her usual smile rests upon her face as she turns to the dining Seekers. "Two floors in just one day; that's really impressive."

In between spoonfuls of rice, Valerie says, "The 13th floor was actually pretty small."

Lissa nods to this, grabbing hold of her cup of orange juice as she says, "We only ran into the Flame Temptress as well; no other encounters were to be had up there." After taking a sip of her drink, she exhales a refreshed sigh. "You sure know how to make good orange juice, Jenetta." Thinking back to the Fetid Necropolis, she follows, "Ah, I believe we'll be going back to the 13th floor at some point; there was an exit-end to a shortcut we have no way of accessing."

Amy rests her cheek in her hand as she says, "You'll probably have to get there via a secret area on a different floor." She looks to the staircase to see Cyrus descending; to her surprise, he's still in his nightclothes, though his katana is strapped to his waist. "Mornin', nii-chan."

"Morning. Amy, I have a rather large favor to ask." She looks to him expectantly, though there is a distinct presence of concern upon her face as well. He groans, pinching the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. "I have a wicked headache, and I don't think it's going to clear any time soon. When the time comes for the party to depart, I want you to take my place." Everyone stares at him in surprise; even the cats cease their feast to stare at him. "Lissa, you're in command; you can leave the mapping duties to Amy. I'll take care of some other matters while I'm in the city. Sorry for how abrupt this is."

As he motions to walk away, Jenetta rises from her seat. "W- Wait a second; aren't you hungry?"

"I need some fresh air first, if you don't mind. I'll be in the backyard." He looks to Hayato and says, "Prince, when you get a moment, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"Sure, thing, Cyrus."

When the Guild's leader steps outside, Gwenivere looks to Fae and says, "Fae, be a dear and look after him for today."

"Yup, leave it to me!"

The party gathers its belongings and sets out soon after breakfast is consumed; their first stop is the Twilight Tavern, where they shoot a greeting to Mirina upon stepping inside. "Good morning, everyone; I have some quests for you." She then takes note of a strange sight. "Hm? Oh, Cyrus isn't here. You girls getting started on an early get-together?" Lissa shakes her head, explaining that Cyrus is sitting out today's exploration. "You're kidding?" She is taken aback, her countenance shifting to match. "I mean, it only took him two and a half Strata, but he finally took a break, right?"

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere frowns as she says, "I suspect there is more to his decision than a simple need of rest." She shakes her head, shrugging off the thought. "I'll leave him be for the moment. What are our quests?"

"You remember Thadius, right? Well, this quest comes from his lover, Mia. I finally got to meet her, and I was surprised to find that she's a Therian." She points to a table, where Mia sits alone. "You can get the details from her. Next up is a direct summons from the Council; I wasn't given the details, but I trust you'll be fine. There's one more." She chuckles, adjusting her glasses as she reads the clipboard's contents. "That scatterbrained chef is at it again."

Amy says, "Let me guess; that shopping list he made was meant for a group of tradesmen, right?"

"Yes, actually."

"I was joking…are you serious?"

"Believe it or not, he also messed up how many ingredients were needed." Amy just face-palms. "He's gonna make up for this blunder by whipping together a new dish; to do it, he requires five Tough Membranes and three Zombie Shrooms." When she sees Valerie's face turn green, she can only nod as she says, "I know, Val; I know."

Mirina then walks away, bidding the party farewell as she tends to a customer ready to put in an order. Gwenivere steps over to Mia's table, performing a curtsey in greeting. "Greetings, miss; might you be Mia?" The woman nods, to which Gwenivere takes a seat and says, "My name is Gwenivere Concordia; I'm with the Seekers Guild, and have done a fair number of requests for your groom-to-be."

"Th- The Seekers took my request?" She sighs in relief. "That's wonderful; I was afraid I'd pull a different group than Thadius. He was the one who wanted to put in this request, but he's incredibly busy right now. So, um, you already know this, but he and I…are going to get married soon, but there's a problem…the artisan who's going to make the wedding veil needs some hard-to-find materials." She bows her head low, much to Gwenivere's surprise. Her voice increases in volume in turn; "So please! I need two Bane Weeds and three Ivory Sacks!" She then raises her head just as quickly, her face red with embarrassment.

Gwenivere giggles at this. "Be at ease, dear. The Seekers did not refuse your lover; we have no reason to refuse you." She rises from her seat, stepping away from the table. "We'll see that the task is done." Before departing from the tavern, she and the rest of the party sit down to have a drink with Evelyn. "Good morrow, Evelyn; how is your blade?"

"It is well, Lady Gwenivere; as sharp as ever. Tell me, do you miss your own? As I understand it, you're considered a sword mistress back home."

"Huh?" She blushes at this. "Now, who could have possibly described me as such?" Valerie looks away almost immediately. "Oh, Valerie, you flatter me. I still have a ways to walk before I have earned such a title." Looking to Evelyn, she follows, "It is as you say; I miss my blade, but the chance to improve my magical craft was simply too good to pass up. My husband has more time to dedicate to my training, despite how busy he is, and the field work yields much experience."

"I can't help but admire your work ethic. By chance, have you heard of a creature known as the Headless Hunter?" She and the others shake their heads. "I wished to tell you all of the Roaming Wraith, but you cleared the 13th floor before I could do so. The creature of which I speak is among the Fetid Necropolis' deadliest. They relentlessly pursue any who approach them. To make matters worse, they are persistent. If they realize they cannot pursue you, they will patiently await your return, for a short time at least."

Valerie asks, "We can lead them into the sunlight, right?"

Evelyn shakes her head at this. "They have enough sense to know that the sunlight is hazardous to their being." Valerie and Amy frown at this, to which Evelyn giggles. "Yes, Melissa had a similar reaction."

Rising from her seat, Lissa lets out a sigh as she says, "I guess we're gonna have to figure something out since we're about to head up there."

Evelyn takes notice of the party's formation. "Oh, is Cyrus not joining you?"

"Nii-chan needs a break; he's not feeling well."

"I see. Perhaps I should check in on him; I am told that he is…stubborn."

Everyone looks to Gwenivere, who dons a confused countenance. "Now why would you ever assume that I am the culprit?" She looks to see Amy trying to silently slip away from the scene, prompting her to grab hold of her shoulder. "Now, now, dear sister; such actions are discourteous."

"I don't know what you're talking about, sis; I was just trying to make haste to the Council Hall; the prince needs us."

Seeing how this is going to unfold, Evelyn offers some subtle assistance. "Ah, you have business with the Council? Then by all means, don't let me keep you; stay safe out there, Seekers."

They depart after exchanging farewells, and soon arrive at the Council Hall. "Ah, you're here; is this about the request?" They nod to him, with Amy offering the map of the 13th floor in turn. "Much obliged, Amy. I've noticed that Cyrus is not with you; 'tis a strange sight."

"My husband's exhaustion has caught up with him; he will be spending this day resting at Jenetta's Inn."

"I suppose we all have our limits; I wish him a swift recovery. Now, this request has to do with your previous search. Do you recall a stone monument with something written on it?" Amy pulls out the map of the 12th floor and takes a moment to study it. With some assistance from Lissa, she directs Ramus' attention to the location of the monument. "Ah, so this is its location." He then summons a team of guards, with Logan stepping in as the captain. "Sir Logan, we have confirmation of the monument's location; please look into it."

With a salute, Logan affirms his assent to the order, and immediately departs with his group. They return after some time has passed, turning in a positive report. Ramus is overjoyed at this news, though no one in the party can claim to understand why. Lissa rests a hand on her hip as she says, "We're happy to help, Prince Ramus."

"You've all been a great help. With this, I can finally visit the monument myself one day…" He looks away, a frown forming on his face as he says, "I wasn't supposed to say that aloud." Knowing that Clarisse and Lissa won't leave without an explanation, he sighs to himself. "I ask that you all keep quiet about this; it's meant to be a secret. I wish to pay my respects to the Dragoon at his grave. There are political reasons for this, but…also personal ones." He is silent for a moment, soon continuing, "He gave so much for the people; I respect his resolve, and wish to express my gratitude in person."

Clarisse glances around her; though she doesn't sense the presence of other people, she says, "We should probably leave it at that, sire; famous though we may be, I'm sure others will start to suspect you if you're speaking with us for too long."

Lissa crosses her arms. "Prince Ramus, if you are heading into the Labyrinth, I ask that you take an escort. Though I would prefer you call upon the Seekers for this task, I would accept Sir Logan as your guardian as well. Just…please, do not go alone." He nods to her, but does not voice proper assent to the notion. Lissa, though reluctant, accepts this, and departs with her party. They turn in their report to Mirina, and claim their reward of 7000 ental. After purchasing a pair of Ariadne Threads, they ascend to the 14th floor to begin their exploration.

The party is barely able to take its initial steps before Gwenivere halts their progress. "I'm detecting aether." Blood-red letters appear on a wall in the distance, spelling out a clear message: "GO BACK NOW…" The letters then begin to seep, dripping downward and ruining the message in turn. The party's Witch stares blankly at the sight. "And just what does the messenger expect us to do? Turning back is simply not an option." She scans the area, but only finds the usual sight of decaying bones scattered amongst the lonely graves. "Let's continue forward."

This floor's initial areas prove to be cramped, more so than the corridors of the previous floor. Soon, Valerie's Miasma Armor automatically triggers, signaling the imminent arrival of enemies. A Flame Temptress flanked by a Bone Archer step into view, ready to meet the party in combat. Lissa deploys a bunker in advance, looking to Amy as she says, "Valerie will inflict Panic on the Temptress, you and Clarisse focus on binding the arms of that archer." She then slams her shield to the ground, triggering a yellow flash that creates a barrier around both Clarisse and Gwenivere.

This proves to be a good call, for both attempts to disable the archer are met with failure. In retaliation, the undead bowman tries to fire a point-blank shot at Amy, only for her to gracefully spin out of the way and punch it in the face. She brings her fist back, giving a brief shake of her hand. "Damn, that usually doesn't hurt me. Alright, let's see how you like this!" As soon as Valerie delivers her second scythe swing, which also fails to inflict Panic on the Flame Temptress, Amy slides in and delivers an electrified punch to the Bone Archer, causing the target to explode into pieces. The Temptress reels back at the sight, likely astonished and repulsed.

This momentary distraction allows Valerie's assault to push through, finally getting the debilitative effect of her scythe to disable the target. ' _Why the Hell did it take me three attempts that time? Aren't these things weak to Panic?_ ' She is given no time to ponder this in the middle of combat, for she rushes the creature down alongside the rest of her party. Clarisse, with Balto's assistance, manages to seal the Temptress' arms, securing a Conditional Drop when the encounter is over. Valerie is the one to pick up this item, which appears to be the gemstone that was embedded in the Flame Temptress' staff. Holding it to Gwenivere, she asks, "Can you appraise this, Milady?"

After staring at the gem for a moment, she receives it from Valerie, placing it among the party's belongings as she says, "This is a gem containing petrified mana; a rare find. You can only acquire one of these by sealing off the spells of a powerful mage. The stronger the mage, the more potent the stone." She takes a moment to think on it before saying, "Cyrus could likely yield a powerful stone, but sealing his magic might cause…problems."

Amy crosses her arms. "Yeah, he might actually explode and take the country with him. But hey, you'll get a pretty stone out of the deal." After an hour of wandering, the party comes across a door waiting at the south-western end of the floor. "This probably leads to the way of progress; let's backtrack and get those dead ends, first."

Around 9AM, Lissa calls for the party to halt as she deploys a preemptive bunker. Two enemies motion into view. One is a much taller incarnation of the Petite Spriggan that the party encountered some time ago. The color scheme is exactly the same, though the forest sprite now sports properly clawed hands and feet. It also has a long black tail, and its head is shaped like a demon helm. At its side is an Air Squirrel, albeit one that has suffered the ravaging effects of decay. Lissa shakes her head at the sight. "Clarisse, you and Balto handle the Squirrel; Amy, bind that Spriggan's legs." She then steps forward and gives a mighty roar from her throat, one that is similar to that of the Great Dragon she and the older branches of Seekers faced long ago.

Amy takes a step back at this. "Damn, girl; I turn into a dragon, and that impressed even me."

"Maybe that's my spirit animal…that'd be cool. Anyway, to battle!"

The Zombie Squirrel proves to fight in a manner almost identical to the squirrels of the Tutelary Forest, though Gwenivere notes that these are resistant to Ice. Such matters are irrelevant to her, however, for the Zombie Squirrel retains its weaknesses to both Stab and Volt. The battle ends after Amy has finished engaging the Grand Spriggan in a solo fist fight. Her efforts reward the party with another Conditional Drop, which is the Grand Spriggan's finger. She places the finger in a bag and cleans her hand, noting that the item is a tad sticky.

Cracking her knuckles, she lets out a content sigh. "That thing wasn't half-bad in a fight." The path the Seekers follow leads to the northern end of the floor, even looping around to a shortcut back to the entrance. Beyond this shortcut, at a dead end surrounded by wasteland, lies the tattered remains of an old worn-out tent. Upon closer inspection, Amy says, "This is the Earthlain emblem." She takes a few looks around the area, finding that, "Nothing's been stolen…and this tent looks perfectly usable, even if it is a bit dirty."

Clarisse stretches her arms, letting out a strained groan as she does so. "I mean, you and I expended a lot of energy fighting our way here, but I am so not feelin' that dirty tent." After giving the tent another glance, Amy nods in kind, prompting the party to depart from here. Soon, a second door lies before them. "So…do we take this one or do we go all the way back for that other southern route we missed?" Amy pushes the door open without a word. "I guess we're doing this."

Beyond this door is the first expanse of the floor, though the party could do without the long stretch of toxic marsh ahead of them. Gwenivere casts Levitation, allowing her comrades safe passage. "To be true, I haven't had to cast many spells since the Flame Temptress resists all of the elements." As she walks with the party, she takes note of what appears to be an armored warrior dual-wielding a pair of axes. Curiously, it lacks a head. "I think that might be the Headless Hunter."

Straining her eyes at the sight, Lissa gives a frown, followed by the shake of her head. "Evelyn didn't mention the part about it dual-wielding axes."

Resting a hand on her hip, Valerie adds, "Or the part about the thing looking like a try-hard badass." She takes a step forward, which provokes the Headless Hunter in moving forward. "Oh, wait. Hold on…what?" She glances at the map to check something. "Damn, three tiles away and you still got beef?!" Evading this creature proves to be simple. While Evelyn was correct in her claim that the Hunter wouldn't foolishly step into the light, she failed to mention that it seeks an alternative path in turn. This allows the Seekers to pilfer the contents of the treasure chest awaiting at the end of this room. They then make their escape through the only other door in this area.

A small clearing is their reward, though they do not use it for a respite. Two doors lie within, both leading to the same area, which is another expanse littered with toxic marshes and some areas teeming with sunlight. Looking around, Lissa searches for the next Headless Hunter, soon finding it off in the distance. "Hm, this one might be a bit tougher to manage." She looks to the side to see Amy mapping out much of the room in advance; "What's your take on this?"

"Oh, um, we bait it from the west this time." To demonstrate, she steps into the Headless Hunter's range of aggression, and then makes her way back to the region where the sun shines down in a much wider scope than the Seekers are used to. The Hunter makes its way around the sun-bathed region, not realizing in advance that there is no path to exploit beyond it. "See? Let's get moving."

The party's reward is another set of doors, along with a shortcut leading back to the center of the floor. Before stepping through these next set of doors, they decide to take a moment to relax. The area is void of danger, at least for the present. Clarisse takes a seat beside Balto, resting her head on his fur as he sits firmly beside her. "Hey, Lissa?" When her comrade turns her head to face her, she asks, "Co was really on edge last night; is he afraid of ghosts?"

"No, he's not; I asked that same question awhile back. I've noticed that he's been constantly looking out of the corner of his eye during our treks, but I haven't asked him about it yet."

Resting her hands behind her head, Valerie smirks as she says, "He was probably stealing glances at you; he hasn't gotten the chance to see you in two years, remember?"

"As much as I'd like to believe that, I know that wasn't the case. He looked distressed by something." She looks to Amy. "You know he's been having nightmares since we got here, right?"

She nods in turn. "This place reminds him of the war, its latter half in particular."

"My husband isn't proud of the things he did in the war, especially its turning point. He…we all had to make some changes to our usual approach; for him and Amy, this meant fostering a far more callous disposition towards their enemies." A pained expression contorts her countenance; she can barely look in Amy's direction, much less directly at her. "My sister there prides herself as a pacifist, but the war took that away."

"Gwen, it was my choice to fight. No one forced these fists to usher soldiers to their annihilation; I…I am the sole one responsible for those calls." She looks to Gwenivere, resolution in her fiery gaze. "I swung these fists with purpose; had I the chance to go back, I would change nothing, save for swinging them sooner."

Clarisse asks, "What could possibly be worth breaking that creed, Stinger?"

"Those bastards drove my brother to commit suicide; the only reason he's still here is because he met Lady Gwenivere. When he told me…I lost it. There's not a drop of mercy in my soul for anyone who'd do that to a person, let alone a child – let alone him."

"Wait, child?" She looks to Gwenivere. "When did you two meet, again?"

She takes to nursing her arm, looking away as she says, "I met Cyrus on my eighth birthday."

"Oh…oh shit."

"He kept that a secret for a decade, Reese." Amy looks to the ground as she says this. "Cyrus doesn't keep secrets from me, or so I thought."

Rising to her feet, Lissa takes up her gun and shield. "Amy, for what it's worth, that's the only secret he's kept from you, at least to my knowledge." When Amy looks to her, she follows, "He told me that back in Armoroad; I have no reason to think he's lying. Team, we're moving out; if this continues any further, I suspect our morale is going to drop." Just as she motions to open one of the doors leading further in, the bloodied message from before returns. "Yeah, this can't be a mere ghost screwing with us." She turns to the others and says, "We'll use that shortcut to map out the rest of the south-western area, and then we're warping back to the city."

Back in Iorys, Fiona and Fae have taken to lying down for a nap after finishing up their footwork practice. The two are already fast asleep, with the former nuzzling her cheek against the latter's as she holds the child in a comforting embrace. Fae giggles at this, but does not stir from her slumber, instead curling up to move in a bit closer to Fiona. Cyrus is in the room as well, though he is busy servicing his katana. As he lifts the blade to the sunlight beaming in from the closed balcony window, he takes note of his reflection; not satisfied with the polish, he returns to the craft.

A soft knock sounds at the door, prompting him to grant entry to the visitor; it's Hayato, who takes a brief moment to look around. Seeing that Fae and Fiona are here, albeit asleep, he looks to Cyrus and says, "I'm ready to talk; is now a bad time?"

"No, this is fine." He sheathes his katana and rests it upon a mantle near the bed. Walking over to the door, he says, "We'll talk in the yard; I'd rather not disturb these two." En route to the backyard of the inn, the two cross paths with Lili; her expression is downcast, and she likewise struggles to make eye contact. "I take it that Solor told you take a break here at the inn, right?"

She looks to him and nods, soon casting her eyes back down to the floor. "It's for the best; I have a lot on my mind." She gives a cheerless farewell to the duo before walking away, presumably to her room at the inn. Cyrus and Hayato exchange silent glances with one another as they watch Lili draw farther away. When she turns a corner, disappearing from view, they decide to continue forward.

Taking a seat on a bench, Hayato waits for Cyrus to sit beside him. Noting the lack of cheer on his comrade's face, he asks, "This is about my father's counterpart, isn't it?"

"Indeed. I think it's about time I told you what happened in Erdboden." He falls silent after this, looking to the swaying trees for some sort of guidance on how to proceed. A glance at Hayato's expectant expression only further cements the notion he's been fearing. ' _This isn't going to be easy._ ' He sighs, finally looking to his comrade. "Your father's ascension played out quite differently in Erdboden. He didn't wage war against a usurper, instead taking his father's place when Lord Minato perished on the battlefield."

"Grandfather is dead in your world?" Cyrus nods, causing Hayato to look to the ground. "He serves as my father's chief advisor now." Looking back to Cyrus, he asks, "What of my grandmother?"

"Lady Ayame…was a victim of an assassination; her food was poisoned. Your father was 15 at the time."

"So that much is consistent." Cyrus winces at this, to which Hayato shakes his head. "That's the sort of risk you take when you're royalty. I've had a few close calls myself."

"Losing both of his parents forced Lord Nagato to grow into his role far faster than he was prepared for. Even with Lady Mina at his side, you could always see just how heavily things weighed on him. He put his people before all else – before himself, and before his own ideals." He sighs, looking up at the sky for a brief moment as he says, "I was relieved when you told me about your father in this world; it sounds like things progressed at a steadier clip. I don't have a counterpart in this world, so I wondered how the man might have turned out if we never met."

"I think my father would be better off if he met you. For all his wisdom, there is much he could learn from you, as I have."

"The Nagato I know, the Nagato I knew…he was a good friend, albeit a bigot." Hayato flinches at the word, barely able to look at Cyrus. The man rubs the back of his head as he says, "Yeah, that was easily his worst trait. Arrogance and superiority complex aside, he had absolutely no chill. Despite that…I considered him a brother. It was really the highest honor I could give a person, considering how I used to vehemently push others away."

"What broke your bond?"

"His dedication to the clan. During the war, the Emperor of the Alabaster Empire made him an offer. In becoming allies, Emperor Julius would use the support of the Yasujiro Clan to cripple the Empire's enemies…and your father would find some way to neutralize the threat I posed to the Emperor's plans."

"W- What?!" His eyes have gone wide, and his expression one of disbelief. "Surely you jest?!"

"Your father stood to gain added safety for his people, as well as a prosperous aftermath once the war was concluded. His betrayal was planned long in advance; he kept up the ruse of our friendship quite convincingly. He's…he's the one who took my left arm." Hayato's shock shifts to despair; as much as he wishes to look away, he can't. "He was actually trying to sever my head for a clean kill, but I've always had the better reflexes."

"I don't understand; why value the promise of a stranger over a friend?"

"He didn't think my odds of emerging victorious were worth the gamble. The strength of our bond was not enough to outweigh his doubts."

The prince is seething, his fingers tightly gripping at his robes as he glares at the ground. "That's a load of bullshit!" The fury in his eyes persists as he looks to Cyrus; his comrade remains silent, allowing the prince to continue. "No man of conviction would ever stoop so low…not my father…"

"I'm sorry, Lord Hayato. War changes people, usually for the worst. I can't name a single person who participated in the War of Erdboden and walked out unaltered." After a moment of silence, he says, "You could say I was goaded into telling you this."

"By whom?"

"By Lord Nagato. I…I keep catching glimpses of him in the Fetid Necropolis; he's usually resting his back to a tree or sitting atop a branch. He never speaks; he just observes." He dons a pained expression as he says, "I can barely look at him; the memory of my actions brings too much guilt."

"What do you have to be guilty of, Cyrus? You're the victim here."

"That doesn't change the fact that I killed him, Lord Hayato." The prince falls silent at this, and can only stare at Cyrus in response. As much as Cyrus wishes to avert his gaze, he holds firm. "He had the weaknesses of my comrades in his pocket. Never mind the war, I would have lost the people precious to me. At least…" He too, falls silent, his eyes putting his self-doubt on display. "That's what I keep telling myself. Time was short, but I should have pushed to find some other solution."

"Were you not infuriated by his betrayal?"

"Of course I was; I needed that arm to make my living as a craftsman, as well as Milady's protector. There is no word in any existing language to properly describe how pissed I was. Even so…" His voice suddenly catches in his throat as a single tear falls from his right eye; Hayato can see that he's fighting back an imminent flood, but makes no motion to interrupt. "Even so, I didn't want to kill him."

Hayato can only rest a hand on his comrade's shoulder as the two enter another moment of silence. It takes awhile, but Hayato musters up the courage to look to his comrade and say, "This doesn't change anything between the two of us." He nods, as if to affirm the notion to himself. Rising to his feet, he extends a hand to Cyrus. "Let's get lunch or something; I think we need a break from this."

Taking hold of Hayato's hand, Cyrus rises to his feet; he wipes his eye using his shoulder and attempts to muster a more pleasant expression. "Yeah, I could go for some food; we should invite Lili to join us. Shall we commit to a search?" Hayato nods to this, and the two set off.

Lissa's team has just finished another encounter with a pair of Eerie Chokers offering support to a Flame Temptress. The path nearest to the shortcut they chose leads to two different locations. The location in which the party currently stands is near a Take Point, which Amy marks down for later. The other is a dead end where a tomb rests. Curiously, an indentation that would fit a cornucopia rests at the top, which causes Valerie to groan in frustration. "Ugh, we have to go back for that obviously trapped golden horn on the 11th floor. Ugh, damn it!"

The door they previously elected to ignore proves to have not been the path of progress, which brings Amy an incredibly embarrassed expression when the others look to her with grins on their faces. The woman suffers no extra teasing as she and her allies warp back to Iorys. Once the effect of their Ariadne Thread fades, Solor can be seen fairly close by. She's actually approaching them. "You guys are coming back from Yggdrasil, right? Did you see Lili anywhere in there?!" Everyone shakes their heads, worried expressions upon their faces. "Shit. I told her to chill at the inn since she's been lost in thought a lot recently. I went to check on her, but she was nowhere in sight; Cyrus hadn't seen her either."

Stepping forward, Lissa says, "We came back to town to warn you both of these strange messages we've been receiving."

After hearing the Seekers recount their events, Solor nods and says, "I'm heading into the Labyrinth to look for her. If you see her in town, just tell her to wait for me."

When Solor departs, the party makes way for the marketplace. The greeting they exchange with Syrik is brief. "Is it true that Lili's gone missing?" He shakes his head. "She's always been a big help; she's strong too, so I don't think we need to worry about her too much. B- Besides, Solor's gonna find her; that girl won't rest until she does."

They sell off a great deal of materials to the shop, taking care not to sell the few Tough Membranes and Zombie Shrooms they've procured. The Explorers Guild is their next destination, where Egar stands directing various Guilds as he usually does. "Greetings, Seekers; how may I be of service?"

Amy asks, "Have you seen Lili recently, Guildmaster?"

"So you are searching for her as well; her sudden disappearance has distressed many here at the Explorers Guild. The lass has been a tremendous help to our guards and her fellow explorers alike. Alas, I haven't seen her." He scans the party, noting their weary expressions. "I would advise you all to get some rest before returning to the Labyrinth. Cyrus stopped by earlier, informing me of the progress you all have made. To think, you're nearly done with the Third Stratum, despite only just beginning its exploration a few days ago."

Resting a hand on her hip, Amy says, "We're just acting as we normally do. If you'll excuse us, there are a few more places we must check."

"Of course. Luck be with you."

Their next stop is the Twilight Tavern, where Mirina seems to be expecting them. "Have you guys heard about Lili? I've been asking all of my customers, but no one has seen her." She sighs, resting a hand on her hip as her expression sinks into something more somber. "I can understand Solor's behavior, even if I can't condone it. I was in her position once."

Gwenivere asks, "You had a partner?"

"Yeah, a real friend I could count on; the kind of person who really makes you appreciate the idea of going out into the world with someone at your side. I know it's a bit much to ask, but could you help those two in any way you can?" They all nod to her. "Thank you."

The Council Hall is next on the investigation list, though the party is expecting more of the same. To their surprise, Ramus gives mention of a mission that is about to be assigned. "This mission is likely tied to why you've come here; it has to do with them. Those two boast the honor of being Iorys' top Guild; the Council and I have made many requests to them. The work they've done for the sake of this city is tremendous." He looks to Clarisse and Lissa, a soft smile forming on his lips. "I had one day hoped to see Clarisse and Lissa rise to such heights. I am grateful to the Seekers for calling them to action."

Stepping forward, Lissa asks, "You have heard of Lili's disappearance, I trust?"

"Yes, we just received word. I understand that going missing in the Labyrinth is a risk every explorer takes, but…for a Master of her caliber to simply disappear, we have to wonder what kind of damage this will do the morale of the citizenry, not to mention the other explorers. We ask that you find her."

Gwenivere nods to this. "It shall be done. We will make our preparations immediately."

When the party departs, they return to Jenetta's Inn, where the smell of roses within the interior puts their spirits at ease, even if only for a moment. "My dear guests, you're back!" Jenetta appears to be flustered, and her hair sports more splits than usual. "Lili's gone missing! I've been worried sick ever since I got the news, but I can't leave the inn! I've asked everyone to search around for her, but nothing's turned up; even the neighborhood cats couldn't find her."

Cyrus steps into the dining room, using magic to levitate a few serving platters above his head. "I know you all will be returning to the Labyrinth to search for Lili, but you need to refuel first."

Amy crosses her arms, looking to him with shaded eyes. "You got a lot of heart saying that to us, nii-chan. Have you already forgotten yourself?"

"What I've forgotten is irrelevant; now, go wash up so you can eat." Amy lets out a huff, purposely refraining from eye contact as she walks past him. The others follow suit, stifling their snickers.


	25. A Critical Situation

**Chapter 25: A Critical Situation**

Once their meal is consumed, the party makes a swift return to the 14th floor. They reach the set of doors they have yet to proceed through as the hour strikes 8PM. Stepping inside, they are met with a sight of two Headless Hunters waiting for them. There is no sunlight to force these undead creatures onto a more favorable path, which brings the Seekers pause. They look about the area, unsure of how to proceed.

Clarisse clicks her tongue in frustration. "Shit, we picked a bad time for this. I don't think waiting until morning is going to work out, either."

Amy surveys the area; as she draws the map, she occasionally mutters a spiteful comment concerning the inconvenient structure of the room. She is stuck on a feasible solution for a good hour, though no one interrupts her concentration. "OK, OK, I have it!" Pointing at the eastern edge of the room, she says, "We need to bait them over to the door on the left, and then make a break for it using the door on the far end." This plan proves successful, though the party barely manages to escape before one of the FOEs can bring its axe down. Amy sighs in relief as the door closes behind her, resting a hand on her chest; "Gods, that was awful!"

Glancing at the ground, Lissa picks up a piece of parchment. "Oh, blood-red ink, how cliché. Let's see…beyond here dwells the lich lord. Begone, foolish mortals, or face your doom and become his slaves." She crushes this note in her grip. "I'm gonna shove this gun up his ass." As she tosses the paper, the ground in front of her splits open, allowing a Flame Temptress and two Zombie Squirrels to rise from the depths. Lissa deploys a bunker without hesitation. "Oh, you wanna go?! Let's do this!"

Gwenivere looks to Clarisse and asks, "Is she alright?"

Clarisse shakes her head, not even able to muster her usual grin. "No, Lissa is quite upset right now." She fires an arrow at one of the squirrels, allowing Balto to seal its legs. Gwenivere casts a magic shield to protect her allies, but its effects are immediately canceled as the second Squirrel charges in and slams its entire being into her chest. "Shit, BB is down!"

Glancing back, Lissa says, "Valerie and I were hit with Curse, so we'll leave the shutdown to you and Amy!" This entire plan falls flat as Amy is tackled by one of the squirrels, losing consciousness in turn. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

With the second squirrel finally disabled, Clarisse rushes over to Gwenivere's unconscious form and brings a bottle of Nectar to her throat. When her eyes open, Clarisse lets out a sigh of relief. "There you go. An Overlord shouldn't be on the gr-" She is promptly cut off by one of the squirrels slamming into her with Balloon Drop. She is sent rolling along the ground, but she is still conscious. A loud groan escapes her. "Ugh, that sucked."

Amy is the next to rise to her feet as the squirrels are shocked to death by Gwenivere's bolts of lightning. She looks to the lone Flame Temptress, whose arms are kept occupied as Balto bites down on them. She rushes in and punches the witch in the face, sending her crashing into a wall before her lifeless corpse slumps to the ground and fades away. Her attention turns to the parchment Lissa threw away before; it bursts into blue flames and burns to ashes. As she and her party gaze at the flame, a voice sounds through their minds, one that is entirely unfamiliar to them.

"I am the Undead King, lord of liches. The living have no place in my domain. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!" His voice is both cold and monotonous, droning on as it wears on the minds of its listeners.

Amy clenches her fists. "Oh, you better hope Cyrus recovers before I find you; because when I get my hands on you, you're gonna wish you had stayed in the dirt." She looks to the rest of her team and asks, "Are you all OK?"

Clarisse says, "More or less. That squirrel got me good." She looks to the side to see the staircase. "Shit, that means Solor and Lili are way farther ahead than we thought."

Before ascending, the party unlocks the final shortcut of the floor, which lies just around the corner. Instead of heading back to the city, they continue on to the next floor. There is no sign of Lili or Solor up here, nor is there any real indication that other explorers have traversed these halls recently. The group heaves a collective sigh at this, but presses forward regardless. Their investigation was meant to be cursory – nothing intensive – but the hour strikes 2AM when they happen upon the first sealed door since the Second Stratum.

This door rests on the southwestern edge of the floor, quite a distance from the stairs. Though the party is growing weary, particularly from their unexpected encounter on the floor below, they decide to press forward until a shortcut can be located. Looking at the map, Amy says, "We should be getting close to the shortcut near that Chop Point we found; let's get this done." True to her claim, the shortcut is a straight shot from the clearing they currently stand in. A treasure chest lies at a dead end around the corner, granting the party a bottle of a crystal-blue liquid. "I think this is an All Mist." She shrugs as she stores the item with her party's belongings. Pulling an Ariadne Thread in its stead, she says, "We're outta here."

When morning comes, the party makes way for the Twilight Tavern. Lissa looks around to find that the Celestrian woman she and Cyrus spoke to before is present, which causes her to sigh in relief. She approaches this woman's table and waves the Monstrous Codex to wordlessly convey that the quest is finally complete. Upon realizing the implications, the woman smiles and brings her hands together. Lissa takes a seat and opens the codex to three various pages. The woman looks quite surprised to find that such monsters truly exist.

"May I borrow this for a moment? My son is actually nearby." Lissa nods, to which the woman lets out a relieved sigh. "You have my gratitude, fair dame." She takes hold of the Monstrous Codex and departs. She returns roughly 15 minutes later with a triumphant smirk on her face. "My boy turned blue just looking at a single picture."

"I can only imagine his horror when he learns that there's a skeleton inside of him."

"I dropped that bomb on him just now, actually. He wet his pants." She snickers at this, recalling the sight quite vividly. "I am sure I'll come to regret this down the line, but I do believe my boy has been scared straight. Your reward is with Mirina." She then shakes Lissa's hand after placing the codex on the table. "Thank you so much for your efforts; I can only imagine the horrors you braved to get these pictures for me."

She then takes her leave, likely to retrieve her son. Lissa walks over to her comrades, who are busy sharing drinks with Mirina. "Oh ho, the Matron has deigned to wine with the patrons?"

She giggles at this, raising a mug with a smile on her face. "Don't make me sound so unapproachable, Lissa. I was just getting back from delivering the ingredients you all brought. Things got weird, given the nature of the ingredients, but the owner said the resulting dish was fantastic. He gave the chef enough praise to bring him to tears."

Valerie snickers as she says, "Mirina says the dish looked repulsive, though."

"Still, I had that owner all wrong; he really does care for that chef – he just thinks he's daft at times…and needs to work on his dish presentation. I happen to agree with that second part." Looking to Lissa, she asks, "Judging from that mother's expression, I'd say the job was a success, right?" She hands the party their rewards, which consist of a new charm and five bottles of Amrita, which cause Amy and Lissa to cheer quite loudly. "Do you guys really rely on your Skills that much in Yggdrasil?"

Lissa shakes her head. "We don't, truly, but Amrita bring with them a sense of comfort, especially if we have a mage in the party. Sometimes they need to cast with abandon, otherwise we risk dying."

"Yeah, I can see why an Amrita would be so nice to have at that point. I imagine you guys aren't going to be able to stay long, right?"

Gwenivere shakes her head to this, rising to her feet alongside the rest of her comrades. "Unfortunately, no. We explored a good chunk of the 15th floor last night, but didn't find Solor or Lili. We have some more matters to address before we head back up there, so there is a need for haste."

They bid Mirina farewell and make way for the Council Hall. Their map of the 14th floor is submitted to Prince Ramus; with this task complete, the marketplace is their next destination, for there are superfluous materials to sell. Before the group can return to the Labyrinth, they are called to a halt by Cyrus, who is currently jogging towards the group. He seems to be holding on to something in his hand, but no one can be certain of what this item may be due to viewing it from a poor angle.

"I am glad I caught up with you." He steps up to Gwenivere and says, "Hold out your sword hand, Milady." She does as requested, but doesn't ask why. She looks him in the eyes with an expectant expression, but doesn't receive a verbal response. Instead, she feels something being slid onto her right ring finger. Cyrus chuckles to himself before saying, "Another perfect fit."

Gwenivere looks down to see a beautiful ring has been placed on her finger. Her eyes take on a glow as the purple gem set within the accessory shimmers in the morning sunlight. She looks to Cyrus, at a loss for words as her attention falls back to the ring. She grabs hold of her right hand with her left, bringing the ring closer to her as if in an effort to shelter it. It takes a moment for the ring's effects to activate, but Gwenivere soon feels a surge of power course through her, which causes her once elated expression to shift to one of surprise. She nods to herself, now fully understanding the purpose of this gift.

She pulls Cyrus into an embrace before pulling back to kiss him. Though she would prefer to linger, there is work to be done, so she separates from him. "Thank you, darling; I'll be sure to put this ring to good use."

He looks to Valerie as he says, "I wanted to make one for you as well, but these things run ten thousand ental a pop…and I don't have any additional materials." He frowns at this notion, to which Valerie chuckles and delivers a light punch to his arm.

"Chief, you worry too much. How's your headache?"

"It's doing better than before; it helps that I finally got something off of my chest as well. I feel at ease now, but I'll take it easy today as well." He then shades his eyes as he looks to Amy; a grin forms upon his lips as he says, "Maybe my sister will stop glaring at me now."

"Oh, shut up." She crosses her arms, letting out a huff. "Why do I even put up with you?" After bidding Cyrus farewell, the party returns to the 15th floor. Before making their way back to the western side of the floor, the party is immediately met with the starting area of the floor being bathed in sunlight. Marking this down, Amy thinks to herself, "I had completely forgotten about these." Looking at the map, she comes to another realization. "Holy crap, this place is littered with toxic marshes." She emphasizes her point by showing the map to her comrades, making note of the faded pink paint she and Cyrus have been using this entire time. "Look at this shit; we seriously walked through all of that last night."

Valerie adopts a disgusted countenance at the sight. "And those paths were mandatory." She looks over to Gwenivere and says, "I am so glad you're here with us." Gwenivere performs a curtsey in reply. "Ugh, I guess we gotta get to it." She walks alongside Amy, occasionally glancing to see if anything is being added to the map. As the party draws closer to the western side of the floor, she takes note of an FOE that is pacing back and forth in a straight line. It disappears from the map at one point, indicating its status as the Roaming Wraith from the 13th floor. Pointing to it, she says, "Huh, come to think of it, we never explored the 13th floor during the day, so we didn't get to see how the Roaming Wraiths interacted with the sun-bathed spots."

Checking the map in turn, Amy adopts an inquisitive expression. "Hm, it looks like their patrol route changes drastically." She looks around to survey the area as her party continues to progress, soon taking note of Gwenivere's focused attention. "Milady? Is something wrong?"

Pointing to a dead end near a section of raised graves, Gwenivere says, "I am detecting a strong aetherial flow from the ground there. I believe something might be buried there." After a few minutes of digging, the party unearths a small coffin, one that is far too small for a person to be contained within it. "Now that is curious."

"You're getting really good at this, Milady. Should we open it?" Valerie quickly shakes her head, to which Amy tilts her own. "What's the matter, Valerie?"

"I'm sensing dark magic; I think that coffin might actually be possessed." The party stares at her for a moment before taking into consideration all of the other creatures they've faced within this Stratum. Though the decision is made in silence, they unanimously agree to return the coffin to the earth. After another encounter with a Flame Temptress and a Horned Skull, the party trudges through a toxic marsh to reach a treasure chest; the chest contains a sum of 4000 ental, which the party pockets before departing.

On the cusp of 1PM, they arrive at the first door of the floor, not counting the sealed door discovered the previous evening. A shortcut can be found within this same clearing, which the party activates. Looking to the map, Clarisse points out the existence of a second FOE in addition to the Roaming Wraith. "This one is standing still, so it's probably a Headless Hunter." Stepping through the door, the party confirms this. "Ah, there's just enough space for us to move forward without drawing its attention."

Unfurling the map parchment, Amy looks around before taking a step forward. "That's good for me; I need to get a feel for the layout of this place." After passing the Roaming Wraith, she makes note of the second spot in this large room that is being bathed in sunlight. A dead end lies ahead, meaning the Headless Hunter must be misled in some fashion. Before committing to a plan, she looks to Lissa and asks, "So what are the Wraiths like at night?" Upon being told that they change direction at four specific points in their patrol route, she looks to the map and places four icons to mark this Wraith's route. Showing her work to Lissa, she asks, "Like this?"

"Yeah…actually, that is probably this one's route to a tee." She pats Amy on the shoulder, giving a thumbs-up and flashing a smile. "Glad to see you're not rusty." Amy giggles at the praise before the party endeavors to finally address the Headless Hunter. With the portions of this room being bathed in light, the FOE is easy to mislead, granting the party its safe passage. They step through the door waiting at the northern end of this room, and are immediately met with another, as well as a passage leading eastward. "Let's see what's through this door."

The party steps through, instantly halting in its progression upon seeing a pile of bones not too far from the entrance of this large expanse. Valerie glares at the pile of bones, resting her hands on her hips. "Yeah, that's not a dirty trick at all or anything." She scoffs, looking around the room to note just how many toxic marshes are present. "This place is infested. Let's turn back. That path we didn't take probably leads to a dead end we need to mark." The party heeds this suggestion, but doesn't proceed far along the path before Clarisse calls for a halt. "Something wrong, Clarisse?"

The Rover takes a moment to crouch down to study the ground; as she rises, she points down the path and says, "Pig tracks," as she licks her lips. The rest of the party stares at her blankly, including Balto. "It was probably looking for truffles; I imagine a graveyard is a pretty decent place for those things to grow. The tracks are still fresh." She looks to Lissa, her expression beaming and expectant. "Say the word."

Lissa sighs before giving a single-word reply, "Go." Clarisse then disappears from sight, with Balto walking along the path to catch up with her. Fearing the dangers of the Stratum, Lissa and the others follow after the Hound in turn. The trek is not long, making Lissa wonder, ' _Why the Hell did she bother with the disappearance act?_ ' There isn't much time to ponder this, for the pig the party encounters is not at all what was expected. The swine before them is frighteningly large, baring its tusks forward as it squeals menacingly. "I do not like how that sounds. Clarisse?"

The woman is unfazed by the threats of this beast. She steps forward with unwavering confidence as a knife is slowly drawn from a holster on her boot. She disappears again, reappearing as the sound of her knife slitting the throat of the pig rings through the stale air. Gwenivere and Amy grasp at their own throats, reeling from the sight of the pig quickly realizing that it is now bleeding out as it convulses on the ground. As Clarisse secures some choice cuts of meat, Valerie says, "Damn, Reese; you are a savage."

"I don't wanna hear that coming from an Erdboden native." The party returns to the previous door leading to the next expanse. Before they can step through, however, a pair of enemies approaches. One is a Horned Skull, which the party isn't terribly concerned about. At its side is a closed coffin. "That wasn't there before." The coffin then opens, revealing its contents to be an amalgamation of several mummified corpses that have been merged together. Tendrils burst forth, donning protruding spikes. Everyone jumps back at this, drawing their weapons on instinct. "Holy shit, what is that?!"

Deeming this unknown abomination as the greater threat, Valerie motions to swinging her scythe to blanket the area in a wilting miasma. Her Miasma Armor activates as a result of her actions, granting her a moment to imbue the blade of her scythe with the energy necessary to instill panic within the enemy. "We need to disable that thing!" This task is readily handled by Clarisse and Balto, who both work together to trip the Coffin Demon as it attempts to march towards the party. Gwenivere focuses on dispatching the Horned Skull, knowing that its presence offers support to this new creature in some way.

The Coffin Demon, even when completely disabled, proves to be a trying foe to slay. When the creature falls, the coffin lid slams shut; Gwenivere uses her magic to open the casket from a safe distance, and shares in her comrades' surprise and confusion upon finding nothing more than an empty casket. "Syrik can use this as forging material; the casket is charged with aetherial energy."

Looking to her, Lissa asks, "We're really taking this with us?" Gwenivere nods, to which Lissa sighs. "Well, you are the head wife."

"Come now, you and I are equals in that regard; I have a great deal of respect for you, after all." Lissa raises an eyebrow to this, which elicits a giggle from Gwenivere. "Don't act so surprised, dear; there aren't many people who can convince our beloved to change his viewpoint. It took me years of dedicated effort; you needed, what, a couple of weeks?" She runs a hand through her hair, allowing some of her locks to settle in front of her shoulders. "Why, were I prone to crippling self-doubt the way Cyrus was, I'd likely be worried about him holding you as his favorite."

Lissa blushes at this, bringing her hands together as she starts fidgeting in place. "That's…I don't think you need to worry about that…" She shakes her head before stepping over to open the door to the next expanse. In a poorly veiled effort to get away from this conversation, she says, "Let's just keep moving."

Gwenivere giggles at this once more. "As you wish."

The Skelesword near the entrance is simple enough to deal with, given there is a portion of land bathed in sunlight directly nearby. A Roaming Wraith is here as well, who is likewise stuck to pacing back and forth between a much smaller path. The Seekers slip into this route and maintain a steady pace ahead of the creature. Though it looms close behind Amy, it never motions to attack her. Instead, it strikes up conversation, revealing itself to be a woman. "What are you drawing, there?"

Amy glances back, not at all bothered by the ghost's presence. "Oh, this is a map of the floor; explorers like me need this to avoid getting lost."

"Ah, so that's why I've seen so many other people come in here with those. Well, good luck with that; I'm waiting until nightfall so I can visit my favorite spot."

"Sure thing; I hope you enjoy yourself." The party proceeds through the door awaiting them at the end of this trek. They proceed through this door into a clearing with a toxic marsh at its center. To the east, immediately in front of the party, is a path that seems to fork deeper in; to the south is a door, which the party elects to take first. Within is an unpleasant sight. A Headless Hunter stands at attention near a region bathed in sunlight; not far away from this FOE is a pile of bones that will undoubtedly merge to form a Skelesword. Amy chuckles at this as she draws the map of what she can see and deduce from the room's structure. "Oh, that's cute; you really think I'm gonna go for this." After the cursory mapping is complete, she and the rest of her party promptly return through the very door they just used.

The branching path has two sections to choose from. The first is a wall, but placed in front of it is a skull identical to the ones used to mark the shortcuts of this Stratum. The party proceeds through, knowing that a potential treasure chest lies beyond. Their assumption is correct, but the treasure in question is an Ariadne Thread. Another wall bearing the shortcut marker is here, but the recently procured Ariadne Thread brings pause to the Seekers.

Clarisse says, "OK, let's look at this from a design standpoint; if I was a DM for Labyrinths & Drakes, and I had just given the group a freebie Warp Wire, what would I put on the other side of this wall?"

Crossing her arms, Lissa dons a smirk as she says, "If it's you? Probably an ambush encounter. And since we're pretty far in this Stratum, you'd make it a Nightmare Set…I'm thinkin'…a Coffin Demon at the fore, a Horned Skull at its flank, and a Flame Temptress in the back row."

At this notion, the rest of the party shakes their heads in distress. Valerie points at Lissa. "Fuck that; fuck everything about that." She then grabs Amy by the hand and starts advancing towards the shortcut they used to get here. "No way, we're leaving, ladies." The remaining path is a surprisingly long stretch, but ultimately leads to a dead end and the exit-end of a shortcut. Valerie frowns at this. "Well…crap. By the time we get back to the Headless Hunter, it'll be night time. If we warp out now, we'll have to trek through all of that nonsense again." She looks to her comrades. "Do we risk it? We haven't tried avoiding a Skelesword at night yet, and the Headless Hunter is going to be a right pain in the arse."

Looking to the map, Amy says, "I kind of have an idea for this. If it doesn't work, we'll probably have to warp out and start over tomorrow." The party returns to the expanse just as the hour strikes 7PM, which is when the sun has descended far enough for its light to no longer grace the Stratum. Unfurling the map before her comrades, Amy directs their attention to the formation of the FOEs. "The Headless Hunter is placed in between these two Skelesword piles. There's a small section of space we can use on the western side of the room to draw it over."

Lissa says, "We know there aren't any additional Headless Hunters in here, so assuming there aren't any extra Skeleswords, we can just make a break for it." She nods. "I'm OK with this, but what about the rest of you?" No one offers a complaint, to which Lissa nods once more. "Alright, then let's get to it." Amy's strategy leaves the party with just enough space to make it to the door awaiting them at the end of this room. As the door closes behind them, sealing the Headless Hunter within its own domain, Lissa lets out a sigh as she slaps Amy on the shoulder. "Damn fine work, sister!"

The party is given no additional time to celebrate, for the familiar voices of Solor and Lili echo from farther ahead. Straining their eyes, the Seekers can see Lili throwing an emotional fit while Solor makes an effort to calm her down. Just as they decide to approach, Lili's voice grows louder before she runs off into the Labyrinth. Valerie face-palms at this. "Damn it." A horde of monsters motions into view, sneaking up on Solor. Grabbing her scythe, Valerie charges ahead, triggering her Miasma Armor as she shouts, "Solor! Enemies!"

Solor takes notice of the enemies just as the Seekers enter the fray. "Well, since you're here, I might as well give you a hand. Amy, I'm gonna throw out an Eroding Miasma to lower their defense; you should head back here and get a boost from Gwenivere."

Though Solor's plan is a sound one, the Coffin Demon proves to be faster than the party, allowing a myriad of legs to burst from the coffin's interior; Solor is struck, but is only blinded by the effort. Valerie, on the other hand, is knocked out entirely. As the Coffin Demon motions to crush Valerie's unconscious form, Amy charges back to the front line and delivers a punch that sends it crashing to the ground. Valerie rises to her feet, having been revived by Solor. She picks up her scythe, realizing that her Miasma Armor is now gone. "Piss."

She falls to the back line, trading places with Solor. While Clarisse and Gwenivere focus their efforts to snipe one of the Horned Skulls in the back line, Solor coats her scythe in an ephemeral aura before charging past the Coffin Demon and delivering three slashes at the unassuming Horned Skull. The creature is diced into several pieces before its soul fades from existence. The rest of its allies fall in suit.

With the battle over, Solor turns to the party. Before she can speak, however, the voice of the Undead King sounds through everyone's mind. "Very well, then. I will deal with you myself. Come. The Undead King awaits."

Solor furrows her brow at this. "What kind of shit name is the 'Undead King'? That must be the guy who's gotten Lili bent out of shape."

Clicking her tongue in frustration, Lissa says, "That bastard got us good with a surprise encounter on the 14th floor." Solor rushes on ahead, not giving the Seekers a proper word. Before following after her, the party unlocks the two nearby shortcuts. The pair stands before a door beyond what is a now subdued toxic marsh. The party lets out a collective sigh of relief. "Man, you really gave us a scare there, Lili."

A pained expression is plastered over the girl's countenance. Seeing how tired everyone is, she says, "This is why I wanted to deal with this on my own…" Clarisse walks over and flicks a finger to Lili's forehead; "What was that for?!"

"Did you really think we were gonna be OK with the stunt you pulled?"

"It's my mission to complete, not yours. I never should have dragged you or Solor into this." She can't bring herself to look upon the wound-covered Solor, instead dropping her gaze to the floor as she tries in vain to hide her sobbing. She calms herself enough to continue speaking, though she continues to refrain from making eye contact. "When I heard his voice, I knew he'd be up ahead; I wanted to face him alone." Tears stream down her face as she finally looks to her partner. "I didn't want you getting hurt again because of me."

Gwenivere steps forward, resting a hand on Clarisse's shoulder. The expression she wears silently conveys her intention to handle this matter, which prompts Clarisse to step aside. She crouches before Lili, looking the young Necromancer in the eyes. "Lili, you are aware that Solor serves you faithfully, yes?" Lili nods, afraid that any attempts at a verbal reply will only result in her becoming an emotional wreck. "The wounds that she currently wears are proof of her devotion; even if you wish to face this Undead King alone, you would do well to remember that Solor wishes to stand beside you. You're not just her partner; you are her liege, and owe her that courtesy." She smiles at the child, resting a hand upon her head. "You are young, so it's no surprise that you'd make the same mistakes I once did; I ask that you learn from this. You have us as well, should you require additional help."

"But…it's my fault that all of you got dragged into this."

Shaking her head, Gwenivere asks, "Were you not listening to my husband that evening on the 13th floor?" Lili remains silent, her cheeks turning red. "The Undead King stood in our way from the start; even if we hadn't gotten involved with you, he would have become our enemy."

Lissa chimes in from the sidelines, her voice dripping with hatred and venom as she says, "That bastard is getting a gun shoved up his ass; he's got it coming."

"Do you understand now? It is only fair that we rally together for this one cause." She pats the girl on the head before removing her hand. "The people of Iorys are worried for you, and even asked us to make sure you were OK."

"I…I don't understand."

Solor sighs at this, prompting Lili to look at her. Her gaze is gentle as she says, "It's no different from you, Lili. They wanna repay your kindness; you've done a lot for the people." She shakes her head, looking to the unopened door as she says, "The two of us alone might not be enough to defeat King Corpse. But, we're not alone anymore. We have our friends here to fight with us."

A chuckle sounds from the room's southern end, prompting everyone to look to see Cyrus approaching. Curiously, he is alone, and is wearing a pinstripe suit. A sword rests behind his right hip, suggesting that he is currently acting as the Guild's Fencer. A Haste Pin can be seen acting as a cufflink for his right sleeve. "Glad I managed to catch up with you lot. I was getting worried."

Solor raises an eyebrow to his presence. "Where did you come from?"

"I was following the tracks left by the team before you. Admittedly, I didn't have to go through that last room with the Headless Hunter because while the ladies were dealing with that, I was exploring the long stretch of land that led to the shortcut I took to get here."

Lissa glares at him. "Did you come here by yourself?" He nods, to which she stomps her foot to the ground. "Cyrus Coelistis! We've talked about this!"

"Love, please be at ease; I chose my battles carefully. I mostly ran the way here."

"Darling, why are you wearing your good suit in here?"

"The Phantom Duelist runs a Passive Skill known as 'Lightweight', which allows the user to evade more readily when unburdened by weighty gear. Save for my sword and the Haste Pin you earned from Matron Mirina, this is all I take into combat. The enemies were unable to touch me."

"Nii-chan, as glad as I am to see you unhurt, shouldn't you be resting?"

"I was worried, Amy; sitting idly by was driving me mad." He looks to Lili, letting out a sigh of relief. "Glad to see you didn't take on the Stratum Boss by yourself; we'd hate to lose you, Lili." He then glances at Solor, a smirk forming on his face. "I'd say this trip was worth it. After all, I got to see our tsun Harbinger show a bit of dere."

"Did you just call me a tsundere?" Cyrus' smirk turns to a grin, which prompts Solor to tighten the grip on her scythe. "I think you might be possessed by a demon; hold still and I'll exorcise it for you."

"A demon that causes me to have a fondness for tsunderes? I don't think I want to lose such a valuable comrade."

"Yeah, no. Hold still."

"Wait, please; I'm just here to help." Looking to Lili, he asks, "You'll allow this, right?"

She stares at him before directing her attention to Solor. Seeing the scars and fresh wounds, she falls silent as her guilt returns. Solor sighs at this, forgetting her momentary ire towards Cyrus in favor of approaching her partner. "Just be honest. Talk to us."

Seeing the concern in Solor's eyes, Lili can only nod. She turns to face the Seekers, her cheeks red with embarrassment. Her gaze is still directed at the ground as she says, "Um, everyone…well…" The others simply smile at her, waiting patiently as she finds the words to use. She eventually looks up to meet their gazes, a faint smile of her own tugging at her lips. "If that…" she momentarily glances back at the door before returning her focus to her friends. "If that thing is what's become of Crow, then I have to get the ring back from him. I don't think Solor and I can handle this on our own." Her eyes adopt a more resolute gleam, and her expression shifts to match. "I know it's asking a lot, but I- we really need your help."

Cyrus nods, finally stepping over to stand at the side of his comrades. "That is all we needed to hear." He reaches out to her, silently asking her to take his hand. He pulls her towards him as his eyes fall on Solor. "We'll fight together, but not tonight; Solor, you need to have your injuries tended to." Glancing at his own team, he takes note of Valerie's condition. "Same goes for you, Valerie."

Lili looks up at him, shock in her eyes. "But this is our chance!" Cyrus merely gestures his head to the south, bringing everyone's attention to the myriad of undead creatures slowly advancing on this location. "There's so many of them…whoa!" She is then taken into Cyrus' arms as the man eases into a stance that suggests he's going to make a break for it. She grabs hold onto one of his shoulders, anticipating this notion. "What are you doing?"

"We'll proceed through that shortcut to the south and then warp out of here. Amy, get Solor."

Before Solor can protest, Amy takes the Harbinger into her arms and chuckles at her. "It's best to just let this ride." Solor can only stare her blankly before sighing and making herself comfortable in Amy's grip. "That's the spirit." When the group escapes through the shortcut, they are met with the revelation that they are back at the floor's entrance. However, this also means there is more to map out, prompting Amy to set Solor on the ground so that she may get to work. "Nii-chan, join me."

No one is able to talk the duo out of this, leaving the others to follow along as the remainder of the floor is mapped out. Arriving at a door tucked away in the south-eastern corner, Cyrus cautiously pushes the door open and steps inside along with Lili. They both hold up a hand to signal for the others to halt. Lili says, "We're not alone in here…"

The voice of the Undead King sounds through their minds again; though his monotony remains, there is a tinge of disappointment to his delivery. "So you noticed my royal assassins. No matter. You shall soon join us." Cyrus laughs at this, directing all eyes on him and eliciting a clearly frustrated tone from the Undead King. "You dare mock me?!"

"The joke is on you, Stank Lord; we brought Ariadne Threads." Before the Undead King can inquire further, everyone in the group warps out of the Labyrinth, returning to the plaza of Iorys. Cyrus chuckles again, donning a smug grin. "What a clown."

Solor rests a hand on his shoulder, laughing to herself before saying, "Did you really call him 'Stank Lord'? I gotta use that one." She sighs, her laughter drawing to a cease. She takes to wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Thanks for that." She looks to the rest of the Seekers and says, "All of you. I might not have reached her in time were it not for you." She separates from Cyrus and takes hold of Lili's hand. "We're turning in for the night; we'll need the rest for our battle tomorrow." Lili nods to this, saying nothing as she allows Solor to lead her towards Jenetta's Inn. "You guys better not sleep in." She leaves her parting words at this, leaving the Seekers to follow after them.


	26. The Lord of the Undying

**Chapter 26: The Lord of the Undying**

When morning comes, Solor and Lili step downstairs to find that the Seekers are already at the breakfast table. Curiously, two spots are open; the two search around to discern to whom these seats are intended, but are quickly ushered to those very seats by Jenetta. Solor's wounds have healed, and both she and Lili are looking well-rested compared to their haggard appearances from the night before. Before jabbing a fork into the pancakes Jenetta has cooked, Lili takes a brief look about her to see what party is going to assist her in the upcoming battle with the Undead King. Cyrus is here, having pressed his suit from last night in order to wear it again; Gwenivere and Lissa sit at his flanks; next to Lili is Clarisse, who is busy trying to steal a strip of bacon from Fiona's plate.

Lili decides to not comment on this, and instead begins to eat her meal. Jenetta's usual cheer appears to be amplified on this morning. She holds Friedrich in her arms, occasionally scratching behind his ear as she hums to herself. "I'm so happy to see my guests returned home safely." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "I was about at my wits' end when Cyrus stormed out of here with no armor." She giggles at this. "I guess you all managed to meet him before he could get into trouble." Everyone shakes their heads to the notion; "What?"

Pointing her fork at the man in question, Solor says, "This guy actually ran through the 15th floor by himself, Jenetta. He's as crazy as he is sharply dressed." She then dons a smirk as she follows, "Maybe even crazier."

"Solor, my dear, flattery will get you everywhere."

She scoffs. "As if I was complimenting you." She takes another look around the party before asking, "So what's our plan? Have you thought this through?"

Cyrus nods, a soft smile forming on his face. "Indeed. Since Lili will be accompanying us, I figured we could bring Fiona into the setup to run Chain Flame." He snaps his fingers to summon a portal of darkness; from this portal, he pulls a notebook with a pair of reading glasses on top of the cover. After donning the glasses, he flips to a page deep within the notebook. "From what research I've done on the Necromancers in this world, I have devised what I feel to be a reliable approach to the encounter." Looking to Lili, he follows, "Of course, it is all merely conjecture; I'd like to get the opinion of a proper expert before I finalize anything."

Lili giggles at this, giving a casual wave of her fork as she says, "I don't know about being an expert, but I'll help however I can. What do you wanna know?"

"Crow is a Necromancer as well; can we expect him to use Skills comparable to your own?"

"Yes, our family's techniques are passed down through the generations. I'd worry about how far he's tweaked them, though."

Chiming in, Solor says, "Some of the wraiths Lili summons can be pretty damn fickle at times, but I'd expect the pawns of the Stank Lord to be disciplined."

Cyrus nods to this, removing a pen from another portal to add a short addendum to his notes. Lissa leans over to get a better look at the notebook's contents, letting out a sharp whistle upon seeing just how much is present. "You really take this seriously." She grins, poking at his cheek. "You're such a nerd." Cyrus' reply is a silent adjustment of his glasses, coupled with a downward stare of disapproval. "Mm, I kinda like this stare of yours; you should wear these glasses more often."

Gwenivere chuckles at this. "I had a feeling Elizabeth was a woman of fine taste."

After taking a sip of her lemonade, Fiona looks over to the others and says, "From what Cyrus has told me of the creatures within this Stratum, we'll need to focus on fostering a defensive formation, one that will last long enough to supplement our offense." She closes her eyes, taking a moment to think. "I will likely need to increase the range of my Chain attacks to clear out the rabble, but that requires setup."

Clarisse says, "We have two uses of Tri-Shield for that. If Co draws power from the two of us, Lissa can do the same thing against the next wave of attacks." She glances at Gwenivere as she follows, "Our Overlord can save Tri-Magic for the later stages of the fight; you know, in case the Undead King summons a bunch of wraiths that we don't wanna deal with."

Lili nods to this, smiling at Clarisse as she says, "Yeah, and I can save Chain Blast for later, too." Her gaze then falls to Gwenivere. "You know Chain Blast, too, right?" Gwenivere nods. "Then we can switch up the user if need be; I'll just leave the call to Cyrus."

Placing a fist to his lips, Cyrus' expression shifts to convey deep thought. He is silent for several moments, drawing the attention of a few of his comrades. He absently says, "We'll need some items for this." He then takes to pointing a finger at some choice party members as he counts to himself. Curiously, Lili and Lissa are counted multiple times, while Cyrus himself is only counted twice; Fiona and Clarisse are counted once. He ceases his pointing and returns his fist to his lips. "That should leave us covered with a baseline." Looking to Lissa, he says, "Dragon Roar will be a part of my buff roster."

Shading her eyes at him, she asks, "You're really going all in with this Lightweight strategy, aren't you?"

"I am, and I'm taking as many precautions to ease your concern as I can."

"It's not impeding your optimal vision, is it?" He shakes his head, but she remains unconvinced. "How do I know you're not just saying that?"

"Lissa…remember what you said a few days ago?" His expression conveys a tinge of regret as he says, "I don't want to hurt you with more lies."

' _He really took that to heart, didn't he?_ ' Her expression softens as she shoots a smile towards him. "Don't make that face, love; you know I trust you." She falls silent, staring at him with her gentle gaze before saying, "It's…been a long time since I've seen you putting so much effort into a Stratum Boss setup." She blushes. "It's also the first Boss we've tackled together in years; I want to see you at your best again…and to fight at your side." He nods to her, electing to maintain his silence. "Glad we settled that. Now, what about everyone else?"

Looking to Fiona, he says, "Fiona is running Chain Plus, Amplifier, and a Bravant." The eyes of both Lissa and Fiona go wide at the notion, to which Cyrus can only chuckle. "We're short on buffs right now, so making use of Bravants seems reasonable."

Pointing at him, Fiona says, "You barely used them back when they were relevant in Armoroad."

He shrugs. "We had better options." Lissa raises an eyebrow to this, asking for his third buff. "You'll toss a Stonard to me." She throws her hands up in the air and adopts an expression of disbelief. "This is all part of the plan."

"Who are you and what have you done with the man I love?"

"Now that's just rude. I would have used Stonards in the past if they at least reduced incoming elemental damage. They get a pass this time since I want the insurance." He nods to himself, as if in affirmation. "Between Ray of Light, Dragon Roar, and the Stonard, I should have enough defense to withstand an attack even if I screw up a dodge." He then scratches under Balto's neck, chuckling as he says, "Balto's passive healing will provide a much needed buffer, even if I'm not expecting any mistakes. We'll head to the marketplace right after this."

When breakfast is complete, the group proceeds to the marketplace as planned. Syrik's expression is one of relief and joy upon seeing Solor and Lili in their healthy states. "I knew you'd be alright!"

Lili steps over and gives a bow, her expression shifting to put her guilt on display. There is an apologetic visage to her gaze as she says, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Syrik." She looks to the left to see Egar approaching; a fishing rod is in his grip, presumably new if the still-attached price tag is any indication. Lili jumps in place, holding her arm up as she waves. "Hi, Guildmaster!"

"Ah, it is good to see you have returned to us." Looking to the Seekers, he says, "I had a feeling you would come through for the people." Looking to Cyrus, he says, "Someone is looking dapper today; what is the occasion?"

"We're going to slay the boss of the Fetid Necropolis today."

Egar raises an eyebrow to this, though no one can see it. "Dressed like that?" When Cyrus mentions a strategy revolving around Lightweight, Egar chuckles. "Ah, of course. You would be surprised at how many Phantom Duelists refrain from using that Skill. I admit that it is certainly difficult to master." He looks among the group in an effort to gauge the nature of their setup. Upon realizing that Lissa is also present, he chuckles again. "Combining a Phantom Duelist with a Shield Bearer? If only I could join you; I would like to see how this sort of setup will turn out."

Resting a hand on her hip, Lissa smirks as she says, "We'll be sure to give you the full story once we return, Guildmaster."

Syrik looks to Cyrus and asks, "So, what can I get for ya?"

"We're in need of a decent haul this time, Syrik. We have need of three Bravants, one Stonard, and five Fire Jars."

Syrik's eyes widen at this. "And here I was thinking you guys never used items. I mean, you rarely buy medicine anymore…I was beginning to think you had gotten a new supplier." He rubs the back of his head as his face turns red with embarrassment. "I guess that was pretty silly of me." He gathers the items the party will need, and, upon receiving payment, dons his usual smile as he says, "Pleasure doing business!"

Around 3PM, after the party has run through its setup several times and adapted to Lili's pace as a combatant, the Seekers return to the 15th floor with Solor and Lili in tow. The door leading to where the Undead King resides continues to exude its malefic aura, which causes Cyrus, Lili, and Gwenivere to recoil in disgust. An ominous presence draws near, directing the group's attention to yet another approaching horde of undead creatures. Solor, just as she did last night, brandishes her scythe, a sinister grin upon her face. "You guys go on ahead; I'll handle these idiots."

As he opens the door, Cyrus glances back and says, "A pity you won't get to see the beating that's about to occur."

"I could say the same to you." She takes a single step forward, a thick miasma forming around her. "Take care of Lili for me."

The others nod to her, though she can't actually see the gesture since her back is turned to them. Lili wishes her good luck before stepping through the door with her comrades. Once inside, she takes a moment to focus, which calls forth two wraiths. Both appear to be male explorers, with one being a Fencer like Cyrus and Fiona; the other is a Warlock. They look about the party, with the Fencer donning a knowing smirk as he nods to Cyrus. Though he says nothing, his message is clear. They look to the girl who summoned them as she asks, "Can we count on the two of you to help?" They nod in reply, which brings a smile to her face. "We'll break his hold over this place; then you can rest in peace."

Cyrus focuses aether to his left arm, conjuring his replacement once again. It fills out the sleeve of his suit's blazer, making the setup far less awkward to look at. His shoulder cape has been absent since this morning as well, making the ensemble all the more noteworthy. He clenches his left fist, letting out a sigh as his attention is drawn to the center of this massive room. A creature that is distinctly inhuman stands before the party, glaring down at his intruders. The Undead King towers above the group, garbed in regal attire befitting an ancient pharaoh. Crossing his arms, Cyrus sizes up the king and says, "Not exactly what I was expecting."

Lili trembles with a mix of anxiety and anger, her hands balled into fists. She glares at her ancestor, her eyes filled with disappointment and disgust in equal measure. "You really abused the Ring of Undying. Your sister would weep to see what you've become."

The creature looks down upon the party, his eyes scanning them with no real investment or care concerning their strength. When he speaks, it is through his own voice, rather than through telepathy; most of the party wince as his voice sounds through the area, akin to metal being torn asunder. "I am the Undead King, ruler of these ruins." He points at the party. "To those who venture into my lair, only death awaits." His gaze falls upon Lili as his mind begins to wrap around her previous statements. "You…a descendant of my nemesis. You shall not have the Ring of Undying; for you, there will be only death."

Crow then recites a swift chant, which calls some sort of contraption to the soon-to-be battlefield. It sports an avian design, and seems to serve as a set of removable wings for the Undead King. Where the tail feathers would normally be is instead a pair of snake-like coattails. Both of them hold within their maw an undead swordsman that looks disturbingly similar to the Skeleswords, but are classified as a unique instance. The swordsmen are dropped to the field in front of the Undead King, and brandish their blades. Crow then dons his wings and takes to hovering a short distance behind his minions.

He calls for the wraiths to defend him from harm, but the Seekers are already several steps ahead. Cyrus snaps his fingers to send forth a shower of swords of ice, all of which explode into dust in front of the Undead Fencers. Even though they are undead, and should have no need for standard vision due to their lack of eyes, they are somehow affected by the alteration Cyrus' use of Phantom Swords applies to their depth perception. One of the Fencers holds its position and takes up a defensive posture; its ally rushes into the party's formation and attempts to take a slash at anyone nearby. Tri-Shield blocks the majority of these attacks, while Fiona dodges one completely.

The defensive formation of the Undead Fencers is disrupted by both Clarisse and Lili; the former fires an arrow coated in a debilitative substance, and even prompts Balto to outright trip one of the Fencers so that Falcon Rush can no longer be used. Lili calls for her summoned Warlock to lower the defense of the Undead Fencer standing guard in front of Crow. He nods to this, and uses up his essence to convert his form into an orb that explodes around the Fencer. Its defensive stance is broken, though it has not been damaged. Lissa stands behind Cyrus and gives a powerful roar, which envelops her comrade in a yellow aura.

Cyrus smirks at this. "Thanks, love. Now to see if I can go the distance."

"Don't take on more than you can handle, OK?"

After casting Amplifier on herself, Fiona, and Lili, Gwenivere takes the Bravant secured to her waist and tosses it at Cyrus. He catches this bottle, and drinks its contents along with the Stonard provided by Lissa. By this point, the Fencers are rushing at him, not only as a result of Lissa's use of Dragon Roar, but also because the under-geared swordsman looks like an easy target. He casually sets the bottles on the ground, and then draws his sword. Fiona has finished prepping her Chain Skill, and is now taking a moment to drink the Bravant passed to her by Lili. Clarisse endeavors to fire another arrow at the Undead Fencer she neglected prior.

Cyrus stabs his blade forward, taking out one of the ribs of his target. His blade is swiftly removed as he steps to the side to avoid a sword slash aimed at his person. His assailant is rewarded with two additional swift stabs, which takes out more ribs. Crow calls for a Wraith Dance, but both of these attacks are dodged in turn. Three blue flashes overtake his form, signaling the activation of Ray of Light. Lissa falls back to the rear line, allowing Fiona to take her place at the fore between Cyrus and Clarisse. The latter of the two drinks the last bottle of Bravant the party brought after Lissa tosses it to her. She then preps her bow, ready to make a shot that will assist Fiona.

A white flash briefly envelops everyone except Lili, triggering Gwenivere's use of a Union Skill. She has chosen Chain Blast, and hurls the orb she has conjured without delay. Her efforts seal the head of one Undead Fencer, the head and arms of the second, as well as the arms and legs of the Undead King. She chuckles to herself as she begins chanting a fire spell. ' _Not too shabby._ '

Clarisse motions to the flank of the opposition in order to fire an arrow that pierces through the legs of one of the Undead Fencers. As the victim loses its footing, Fiona rushes in to stab it with her blazing sword. The strike is enough to cause the wraith to fade from existence, which gives Fiona an opportunity to hit the remaining Fencer with Chain Burst. Though it does not fall from her efforts, it is promptly turned to ash by Gwenivere's casting of Explosion. The Undead King is left alone for a moment, allowing for another volley of attacks.

The party is unable to deal much damage at first, due to a need to disable the defensive buff the Undead King's allies left behind. Fiona swaps places with Lissa again, due to a need to re-establish the effects of Chain Plus. Amplifier's effects are also about to fade, prompting Gwenivere to cancel her use of Focus Chant in order to bolster her comrades. Clarisse and Lili lower the Undead King's defenses once again for good measure.

Crow casts off his wings and summons a pair of Undead Archers that rest on the back row. Cyrus frowns at this before stabbing the necromancer in the eye. His scream is no different from the awful cacophony generated by rusted metal being scraped against a spinning saw with dull blades. "Augh! My eye! Who stabs people in the eye?! You wretch! Archers, destroy him!"

Lili puts an immediate stop to this by combining her forces with Gwenivere, Cyrus, and Fiona to cast Tri-Magic, which obliterates the Archers before they can do anything; this leaves the party with two additional attempts to lay into the creature. Despite Crow's lack of an eye, he still has enough control over his spatial awareness to strike Cyrus. Though his efforts deal pitiful damage, the fact that he managed to land a hit at all is enough to remove Cyrus' accumulated stacks from Ray of Light. ' _Well…dammit, that's annoying._ ' He feels a sudden power decrease, signaling the cessation of his Bravant. ' _The Stonard is gone, too._ ' He takes a step back, readying his blade as he says, "One more volley, team! He's going to call his wings back in a moment!"

Though their efforts send the Undead King crashing and rolling along the ground, he is able to pick himself back up and call upon his wings once more, which brings with it another pair of Undead Fencers. Clarisse is out steam at this point, breathing heavily as she slowly makes her way back to her comrades. "Co, BB is looking pretty tired, too. What's the plan?"

He glances around to find that Lili has no more wraiths to call upon. ' _OK, so that's out…OK, I've got it._ ' He takes a step forward. "We'll have to risk it; charge at the Undead King! Lissa, we need a Line Shield!" He rushes past both Fencers to take Crow by surprise, stabbing him in the stomach. Fiona charges in with a follow-up from Chain Flame, calling for Cyrus to dodge as she does the same. He spins to the side to avoid the Undead Fencer, performing two swift stabs that take out its shield arm. Crow withstands the assault, calling for both of his wraiths to attack again. Even with Lissa's use of Line Guard enveloping Cyrus in a protective aura, he is struck twice, both resulting in deep gashes in his chest. He falls to the ground, unable to keep himself steady as the pain wracks his system. ' _I let my guard down._ '

His allies are unable to dispatch Crow, for he calls for the use of Undead Shield to keep himself protected. Gwenivere, with no strength left to cast magic, rushes over to Cyrus' fallen form, evading an incoming sword slash so that she may administer a bottle of Nectar. As Cyrus' eyes open, he can see the tears in her eyes. "Darling, are you alright?" When he asks if the battle is ongoing, she nods to him. Despite the little strength that he has remaining, he can see that the Undead King is paying more attention to the wraiths attacking Fiona. Gwenivere looks away, albeit briefly, to procure a bottle of Medica II from the pouch at her side. "Hold still; I'll grab some medicine." When she looks back to where Cyrus should be, he is gone. "Cyrus?"

She then looks over to see him charging at the Undead King. "Hey, Stank Lord!" The Undead King isn't given a chance to retort, for he is stabbed through the brain. This causes the Undead Fencers to stop moving; they soon turn to dust shortly after. Cyrus pulls his blade from the target and performs a back-flip to the ground. He sheathes his blade as he watches the Undead King collapse forward. Just before Crow can hit the ground, his body disappears, much like the wraiths he once commanded. In place of where he would have fallen is a ring. Cyrus lets out a sigh as he picks up this ring. "We cut that one way too close." He looks to the others as he says, "Excellent work, everyo-" He is promptly cut off by Gwenivere and Fiona crashing into him. A brief surge of pain wracks his form, reminding him of the gash wounds he still bears. "Ladies, please!"

Gwenivere only just now recalls this same notion, and pulls herself away immediately. Tears are still welled up in her eyes as she looks to his injured form. "You had me so frightened, Cyrus."

Fiona pulls away in turn. "Right, you took two sword wounds just then. My bad." She lets out a sigh of relief. "I'll be damned if that didn't scare me, though."

"I'm sorry I left you with those wraiths, Fiona; you suffered some wounds in turn."

"True, but I'm not the one who nearly died. You were dancing on the edge during the entire fight; I'm just," a single tear streams from her eye as she smiles, "I'm just glad you're alright."

Lili steps over, a look of concern plastered upon her countenance. "Cyrus…you shouldn't be standing up like this; please, sit down."

"There's no need; I'll rest this off once we get back to Iorys." He then hands her the Ring of Undying; "I believe this belongs to you." She takes hold of the ring, cautiously running her fingers against it. Tears flow freely from her eyes as she falls to her knees. Cyrus takes a knee, wincing at the pain of his wounds, and rests a hand on Lili's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

She giggles, finding some humor in her current state. "I- I'm sorry; it just hit me that my family is finally free from this curse." She wipes her tears and rises to her feet. She looks to the Seekers, an earnest smile upon her lips. "Thank you so much, everyone! My ancestors can finally rest in peace."

Solor steps into the battlefield. Her attire is torn in some areas, and the debris of shattered bones can be seen flaking from her with each step she takes. "All of the monsters I was fighting just up and vanished; I guess that was because of you guys. Too bad I couldn't join th-" she then catches sight of Cyrus' wounds. "Damn, they got you good; are you alright?"

"Nothing I haven't experienced before, Solor; glad to see you're alright."

"Yeah, likewise. I admit I was kinda worried about you, but it looks like you were just fine out there." She looks to the ring in Lili's possession; "That the ring, Lili?" Lili gives an enthusiastic nod, smiling as she tells Solor that their struggle is over. "Good to hear; we're done here, then. We'll head back to the city and get some rest." She grabs Cyrus by the arm, and starts pulling him along; "That includes you; you're not stepping up to the 4th Stratum looking like that." To her surprise, he is quite easy to drag; it is then that she realizes he is going along with her willingly. "You're…not gonna resist?"

"No, you're right. We have requests to handle before we ascend as well, and I…" He blushes, looking away from Solor to direct his gaze at his team. The others are looking to him with knowing smiles, which causes him to just look at the ground instead. "I don't want to worry everyone."

The group warps out of the Labyrinth, returning to the Seven Hills Plaza; the time is around 5PM now, with the sun's current placement bathing the city in a warm orange hue. Instead of turning in their report to Ramus immediately, the group returns to Jenetta's Inn to rest and address its sustained injuries. As they step inside, they can see Jenetta conversing with a woman who stands slightly taller than Cyrus, Gwenivere, and Lissa. As she turns around, her features become easier to ascertain. She appears to be in her mid-20s; long purple hair, almost black in color, tops her head, with her bangs sporting enough length to hide her left eye. Her right eye is ruby-red, though her gaze is gentle in contrast. Though garbed in form-clinging Celestrian robes, this woman is distinctly Earthlain. Lili and Solor take a step back out of reflex, wary of the powerful aura this woman exudes.

A smile forms on her face when she sees Cyrus and Gwenivere, though it quickly shifts to convey concern as she takes notice of the former's injuries. Though she is quick to admonish Cyrus, her voice is loving as she says, "Son, how I wish you would take better care of yourself in battle."

"I was doing quite well until the end approached, Master; you should have seen me."

Looking to Cyrus, Lissa asks, "As in…Master Annora? The woman who taught you magic?" Cyrus nods to this, a smile forming on his face. Lissa's eyes widen as she takes another look at Cyrus' supposed master. "Wait, that means she's also…" She then rushes over to the woman, taking hold of her hand with both of hers, shaking them earnestly. Lissa's expression takes a serious turn as she looks the woman in the eyes and introduces herself. "I- It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm one of your son's lovers; my name is Elizabeth, but you may call me Lissa…"

The woman chuckles at this, her soft smile persisting. "Cyrus has spoken quite highly of you, young lady. I admit that I was expecting someone more petite."

"My growth spurt finally kicked in after Armoroad."

"Indeed. You're as tall as your beloved now. Ah, but my manners. Well met, I am Diana Annora – mother and mentor to Cyrus Coelistis." When the eyes of the strangers go wide at this notion, she giggles. "Do not let my youthful appearance deceive you; I am truly over six thousand years old."

Solor, dumbfounded, asks, "What's your secret?"

"Eat well and sleep well."

Cyrus face-palms at this. "Mom, you're forgetting that you're also a vampire; that's kind of important."

Feigning ignorance, Diana simply smiles. "Ah, yes, that too." She looks about the party, chuckling to herself as she says, "Surrounding yourself with women again, I see."

Jabbing a thumb in the direction of Solor and Lili, he quickly clarifies that, "These two are in a separate Guild; we all just happened to team up before you arrived."

"Hm, how convenient. I figured seven would have been enough for you."

It is at this moment Valerie steps downstairs and voices her agreement with Diana's assessment. "I said the same thing, Master Annora." Upon fully stepping down to the ground floor, she catches sight of Cyrus. "Damn Chief, what happened?!"

Rapid footsteps can be heard approaching from behind Valerie, signaling Fae's imminent arrival. When the child touches down on the ground floor, she rushes over to the party with a smile on her face. "Welcome home, everyone!" She then takes hold of Cyrus' hand, pulling him towards the inn's medical ward. "We gotta take care of you, Uncle." Looking to Diana, she makes a request: "Could you help me, Ms. Annora? These wounds look bad."

"Certainly, little one."

When the hour strikes 7PM, Diana and Fae release Cyrus from the medical ward. His dress shirt and blazer have been confiscated due to being sliced open by the blades of the Undead Fencers. Cyrus instead wears a t-shirt similar in design to what Amy wore when she revealed her figure to Clarisse back in the Tutelary Forest. Cyrus' shirt is also black, but instead of sporting an image of Pyro Jack, his features a tiny snowman wearing a pointy blue hat. The creature waves to all who look upon the image, and upon the back, written with trails of frost emanating from the letters, is the creature's name – "Jack Frost". He motions to depart alongside Lili and Solor so that they can make a report to Prince Ramus.

Diana joins the trio, along with Clarisse and Lissa. "I intend to register with your Guild, Cyrus; we can handle that after your report is turned in."

He turns to face her, a look of surprise upon his countenance. "You're…gonna explore with us?"

"Yes, that's not a problem, is it?"

"No, no, certainly not! I just…is there a reason for this?"

"I wish to see the world of which you're so fond for myself."

When the group steps into the prince's office, he is relieved to see them. He makes his way over, rushing with all the effort a royal is allowed. He looks about the group, noting their lack of injuries. "It is great to see you all safely returned to us." The group takes a moment to recount the battle with the Undead King, also explaining the circumstances that led to the situation unfolding as it did. "I see." Looking to Cyrus, he follows, "Making use of Lightweight was quite the risky play, Cyrus; I ask that you exercise even greater caution in the future." He nods to this, sheepishly voicing his assent as his cheeks turn red. "I do not mean to lecture explorers, but you are all important to us here in Iorys." It is now that he takes note of Diana, who has been silent this entire time. "Hm? Might you be a new member of the Seekers?"

She nods to him. "Soon to be, yes. I am Diana Annora; though Cyrus does not seem to operate as a mage in this world, I am the one responsible for his training."

"How interesting. I have heard many tales about Cyrus during his earlier adventures in this world; he was always cited as a powerful, albeit unorthodox mage. Am I to take it that you are responsible for this unorthodox nature?"

She chuckles at this, shaking her head in kind. "No, that is all him; my son was like that long before I took custody of him."

"S- Son? Beg your pardon, ma'am, but you look barely a day older than Cyrus."

She chuckles at this. "Such are the perks of being an immortal, young prince. I am over six thousand years old by this point." It is all Ramus can do to avoid showing his surprise. "What impressive restraint; most would reel at the notion. In any case, as a member of the Seekers, you will have my assistance added to your list; I look forward to working with you, Prince Ramus."

She extends her hand to him, which Ramus promptly shakes. A smile forms on his face as he says, "Likewise, Diana." Looking about the rest of the group, his eyes fall to Cyrus. He disappears behind a pillar, soon reappearing with a large bag of ental in hand. He hands this over to Cyrus. "This is a token of our gratitude; please accept it. May I ask what your Guild's next move will be?"

"We have many quests to handle before ascending to the 4th Stratum; I ask that you grant us your patience."

"You shall have it. Be safe out there, everyone."

After exchanging farewells with the prince, the party makes way for the Explorers Guild. Solor and Lili yet remain at the Council Hall, likely with unfinished business to which they must attend. Egar turns to see the party enter the grand hall of the Explorers Guild, raising an eyebrow upon taking notice of Diana. "Greetings, Seekers. I am told that you helped vanquish the creature accosting the city's favorite pair of explorers. For that, I thank you. Now then, who might this be? A new recruit?"

Stepping forward, Cyrus motions to Diana as he says, "This woman here is named Diana Annora; she's my mother, as well as the master who taught me the arcane arts." Knowing the expression Egar currently wears, he follows, "I know what you're thinking. She adopted me after I lost my family…and she looks so young because she's a vampire."

"Ah, that explains everything. Very well." Looking to Diana, he says, "Well met, Diana; I am Egar, Guildmaster of Iorys. Do you have an idea of what Class you wish to take?"

"Indeed I do, Sir Knight. I will register as a Celestrian Necromancer. After a bit of research, I have decided to walk the path of the Spirit Broker."

He hands a clipboard to her as he asks, "Did you wish to change your title as well?" She raises an eyebrow to this, suggesting to Egar that she was unaware of such an option. "All recognized Masters are able to choose their own personal title – there are no restrictions, so choose whatever you like."

"Hm…" She closes her eyes, adopting a contemplative stance to facilitate her thinking process. She soon raises a finger, her expression brightening. "Ah, I've got it. I shall be the 'Soul Manager'. Yes, a fitting title indeed." She looks to her son, giggling to herself upon seeing his confused expression. "You'll understand why it's fitting if you think about it for a moment, Cyrus."

With Diana registered, the party makes way for the Twilight Tavern. Solor and Lili are here, each of them dining on a meal that Mirina appears to have just served them. Mirina smiles upon seeing the Seekers. "Welcome back, everyone. You did real good work today." Seeing Diana, she chuckles. "Adding another beautiful woman to the roster, Cyrus?"

"It's not what you think, Matron; she's actually my mother." As Mirina raises a finger, he follows, "She's also a vampire." She then motions her hand to accentuate her raised eyebrow and questioning expression. "I was adopted; I realize that I never told you of my younger years."

"Alright then." She smiles, looking to Diana as she says, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Diana. Your son has been a big help around here; you raised him well." This brings a smile to Diana's face in turn, though she says nothing in reply. "So you guys here for work?" When Cyrus looks over the list of available quests, he can only shake his head, claiming that the Guild still needs to work on the two it took a few days prior. "Right, you still haven't found a place for that seed, have you? Well, I won't keep you; thanks again for your hard work, and it was a pleasure meeting you, Diana."

"Likewise."


	27. Discovering the Next Level

**Chapter 27: Discovering the Next Level**

After departing from the Twilight Tavern, Cyrus instructs his group to head back to Jenetta's Inn without him, for he has some materials to sell at the marketplace. When he returns to the inn on his own, he brings with him two pieces of equipment and a small black box that is likely housing a ring of some sort. Of the two pieces of equipment, the most notable is the coffin floating behind him. Its visage pays homage to the skull enemies of the Fetid Necropolis, with the eye sockets occasionally emitting a light blue glow that gradually fades into darkness. The other piece of equipment is sturdy leather armor. He steps up to Diana and offers these to her.

Strangely, the coffin simply floats from behind Cyrus' back to Diana's side. He then presents the black box to her, deftly opening it with his thumb. Within is a single earring comprised of amethyst; the gem sparkles, even with the low lighting of Jenetta's Inn. "This shall be your starter gear, mom; I made the earring myself, of course."

She rises from her seat and pulls him into an embrace. "That's sweet of you, Cyrus; thank you." Pulling away, she says, "Now I bet you're curious as to what my Skill focus will be." A smile slowly begins to form on Cyrus' face, threatening to bring one to her own. "I find the Skills of this world to be quite curious. A few of the spells available to me deal physical damage; some are composite, combining physical and elemental." She takes to making a few small motions with her hand, summoning three orbs around her. "These spirits pack such dense amounts of power within them." These orbs are then dispersed, causing them to fade from existence. "I wish to work toward Wraith Explosion; I trust you'll formulate a strategy around it." She chuckles as Cyrus wordlessly reaches into a portal of darkness and pulls out a notebook, along with his reading glasses. "Ever the studious one."

As he takes notes, Cyrus says, "We're heading into the Labyrinth tonight to address some matters we've been neglecting; I'd like for you to accompany us."

"Sure, I can do that."

"This will let you get a feel for this world and how it translated your skill level from Erdboden."

"Ah, yes, you often mentioned that there is some sort of scale in effect; did you ever meet the deity responsible?"

"I have not, no, and that's assuming such a deity even exists." He looks about the group, seeing that everyone he wants to take into the Labyrinth is present. "Is there anyone here who would prefer a break over diving back into the Labyrinth?" Everyone shakes their heads. "Very well. We shall assemble and head out." He chooses to don his Masurao gear, setting out with Amy, Valerie, Clarisse, and Diana as his party.

The Seekers return to the 11th floor, now armed with the knowledge that the golden horn they elected to leave alone is important. Diana is given a moment to take in the environment, though she seems to be unfettered by the malice this Stratum exudes. "A terrible war must have occurred here." As she walks, she looks about the area, studying the myriad number of graves; "There are so many, and the etchings have almost faded completely." When the party arrives at the location of the golden drinking horn, allowing Diana a chance to see the setup for herself, she gives an underhanded point as she says, "No wonder you skipped this; this is trap design 101."

Valerie walks over and takes the horn; a moment passes, but nothing occurs. "No traps? Really?" She shrugs. "Whatever. Now we have to get to the southern end of the 14th floor." Just as the party reaches the ascending staircase leading to the 14th floor, a new Enemy Set appears. On the back row is a trio of Petite Spriggans; Valerie's Miasma Armor triggers on its own as she readies her scythe. "One Toxic Reap will take care of them." At the fore is the new component; it is a white ghost, one that looks closer to being a child's project for arts & crafts. "That's actually kinda cute." Amy squees, her eyes sparkling at the sight. "I guess she agrees…"

Valerie charges in past the ghost and hits all three Spriggans with a wide swing of her scythe. The blade, coated in a green glow, transfers the malicious effects to her targets, poisoning all of them. She looks back to see that the ghost has fired some sort of ray at Cyrus. The ray seems to have no effect, for Cyrus is still capable of going through the motions of charging for his next attack. It isn't until the wraith fighting alongside Diana takes a claw swipe at the opposing ghost that the the ray's purpose is revealed. Though the ghost takes damage, Cyrus does as well. "I think I've been possessed."

"You're awfully calm about that, Chief!" Seeing that Cyrus is closing in with an electrically-imbued blade, the ghost panics and switches over to possessing Valerie instead. "Wait." It's too late, for Cyrus' use of Bolt Slash fails to end the ghost, but does shock Valerie into a state of unconsciousness. When she regains consciousness, Cyrus is the one cradling her in his arms. "Chief? What happened?"

He holds her closer, letting out a sigh of relief. "I am so sorry, Valerie; I didn't think it could switch hosts so quickly."

She picks herself up before offering her hand to help Cyrus to his feet. "Don't worry about it. I guess that means we need to kill them in one hit." Looking to Cyrus, she says, "You were trying to do that from what I could tell, but you need debuff support." The party remains on this floor for several hours in search of another ghost from which they may obtain another Ivory Sack.

Once 2AM strikes, the party is beset by a Flame Temptress and a Bone Archer en route to their destination. Diana is surprised to see the Temptress, with the feeling being mutual if the enemy's shocked expression is any indication. "A fellow vampire. Our breed is a rare commodity."

"What are you doing with the lively ones?"

"They are my comrades; those who count themselves among the living have been quite good to me. I'd rather not face my fellow in combat, so could you let us pass?"

"Oh, certainly; I just need that boy with the katana. He will make a fine servant."

Diana crosses her arms, her expression switching over to convey quickly-building fury. "I cannot abide. My son already serves a master, and I find her to be perfectly suited to him."

"Archer, destroy them."

"At once, your grace."

Cyrus sighs to this, stepping forward as he says, "Seekers, to battle!" This battle is concluded without incident as both enemy units fade from existence. The party proceeds on ahead, unimpeded by additional enemies as they make way for the tombstone awaiting at the southern edge of the floor. The tombstone appears to have been undisturbed since the Seekers were last here. The indentation chiseled into the marker is likewise present, beckoning still for an offering. Cyrus places the golden horn into this indentation, which causes the monument to rumble before rolling back.

Diana requests one of her wraiths to provide a light, which is heeded, allowing the party to peer inside the hollow within. Before them is a large scythe, one that is stained blood red. She steps over to pick up this scythe, thanking her wraith for its assistance. She studies the weapon, noting its jet-black blade. "Hm…this weapon isn't cursed. Rather, it doesn't curse the wielder." Turning to her allies, she directs their attention to the blade. "Upon striking a target, this blade triggers an effect that can rob a victim of its eyesight."

Valerie says, "It looks pretty strong, too; we might be able to use it down the line." She turns to see Cyrus scanning all of the maps of this Stratum. "Something wrong, Chief?"

"Trying to figure out where in the Seven Hells we could grow a seed in this Stratum. Considering how early we obtained that request, I figure the spot we're looking for might be on the 11th or 12th floor."

Clarisse crouches down beside him, a frown on her face as she says, "Our best bets would be the areas that get a lot of sunlight, but I'll be damned if we can check them all. The 11th floor has eleven of the damn things, six of which are connected to Skeleswords."

Pointing to a secluded corner on the 11th floor, Amy suggests; "How about we check this random corner before we call it a night? We didn't find anything of note the first time we were there, and the sunlight just felt out of place since there weren't any monsters nearby."

Cyrus gathers up the maps and secures them with the Guild's essentials. "That's decent enough rationale. Let's get moving." The trek is long, taking away two additional hours before the Seekers arrive at their destination. Letting out a yawn, Cyrus points to a section of the area that is teeming with green life. "I don't think we noticed that before." He digs up a small patch of dirt, drops the seed within, covers it up with the dirt, and then sprinkles a bit of water onto it. "That should do it." He takes a step away from the seed's location, only for his eyes to widen as a bud pushes through the soil. "Huh, just like the seed we planted in the Primitive Jungle…" As he reminisces, his instincts kick in, causing him to jump away from the plant sprout.

In a matter of moments, the small sprout begins to grow once more, soon towering above the party. Once it has fully grown, the tree wiggles, suggesting that it's sentient to some degree; it then swings one of its branches at the party, catching everyone off guard, including Balto and the two wraiths Diana summoned for assistance. Sitting himself up, Cyrus can see that the seed has turned into a much larger Eerie Choker. Recognizing this, Amy adopts a furious expression. "We give you life, and this is how you repay us?! Alright you sugar-sucking fuck nugget, I'll make you bleed!"

Diana slowly rises, needing to rest on her knees. Her wraiths float over to her, awaiting instruction. "I need one of you to lower its defenses." She tries to move again, but her efforts are in vain; "Damn, it got me good."

Cyrus glances back to see Diana's injured form; he turns his sights back on the Rampaging Roper, arguably now sporting even greater fury than Amy. "Valerie, use Black Mist and hit it with Paralyzing Reap. Amy, Clarisse – bind it." With the Miasma Armor already in effect, Valerie is far too swift for the Roper to react. She blankets the area in darkness, with only the yellow trail of her blade offering any indication that its sight has not disappeared. She takes her swing, numbing the tree's system. The tree fights through its paralysis in order to summon allies. A pair of Eerie Chokers appears behind it. "They'll die in darkness with you! Valerie, double up! Amy, grant me Overexertion; Mom, bolster a Flame Bomb!"

This plan is cut short by the Eerie Chokers out-speeding the party, resulting in everyone except Cyrus and Valerie being grabbed by the throat. Amy is unable to grant Cyrus the buff he called for, but he is not bothered by this. "Chief, what's the plan?"

The area around Cyrus begins to dim as he enters a drawing stance. "Lower their offense; this strike might not kill them. Clarisse, if you can manage, I need a Target Arrow on the larger Roper." Despite her current predicament, Clarisse pierces the tree with the appropriate arrow, to which Cyrus nods. Resting his hand on the hilt of his katana, Cyrus motions into a slash; this motion causes several ripples of sharp winds to distort the area surrounding the opposition, ripping them apart in turn. The Rampaging Roper loses a limb as a result of this, while the supporting Eerie Chokers lose their lives outright. As he sheathes his blade, he exhales. Before he can give an additional command, the Rampaging Roper whips a branch at him, rendering Cyrus unconscious as his body is sent crashing to the ground. Diana is sniped shortly after, due to being unable to command her wraiths.

Though Clarisse nearly succumbs to the effects of poison, she, Amy, and Valerie successfully finish off the Rampaging Roper. Nursing her now bruised arm, Clarisse looks to the unconscious forms of her comrades. "If Co hadn't used Petal Scatter, we might not have been able to survive that." She walks over to him and takes him into her arms. Looking to Amy, she says, "You get Diana. Princess, we're warping out of here." When morning comes, Cyrus awakens to find Clarisse sitting beside him. Balto is here as well, currently napping until his services are required. "Hey, Co, how you feelin'?"

"Were you and the others alright?" She nods, but explains that Diana needed to be treated as well. "Damn." He sighs to this. "I was completely caught off guard back there."

"The same attack that knocked you out almost got me, too; it inflicted poison. I owe you one for that Petal Scatter; I'd probably be bed-ridden right along with you…or worse." After a moment of silence, she says, "You know, it took me until last night to realize why you were so confident in running Masurao." He looks to her expectantly, silently asking for her to elaborate. "Don't get me wrong, I've never considered you weak – I have a policy against following people who aren't worthy of my time. It's just…" She pauses, her words failing her. She sighs, shaking her head in defeat. Looking to him again, the uncertainty in her eyes is notably compounded. "You're a strong leader, but an even stronger warrior; I see that now."

"Odd that the fight where I was the first to fall is what changed your opinion."

"It wasn't just that; I've been paying attention since I noticed you training alone in the middle of the night." The shift of his eyes suggests that he was unaware of this, which causes the woman to giggle. "I was watching from a window; I wasn't close enough for you to catch my presence." She pokes his cheek, chuckling at the pout he now wears on his face. "You really know how to handle yourself out there, and you manage the rest of us on the fly. It…it started to hit me when I saw BB revive you during our fight with the Undead King. You rushed back into the thick of it in spite of your wounds; did you even assess the situation?"

"Of course I did. I made the choice to strike when I saw that Fiona was getting overwhelmed; if I hadn't, she would have fallen before I could redirect the enemies' aggression." He directs his attention to the ceiling, albeit briefly, in some effort to piece his thoughts together. Returning his gaze to Clarisse, he says, "I can't afford to fail all of you, Clarisse; the price is too great."

"Is this another relapse for you? Lissa said that you were improving on that front by the time your journey through Armoroad ended." She shades her gaze, her expression suggesting calm fury as she asks, "Did something happen in Erdboden or Tharsis?" The tone of her voice has changed in turn, now more stern than Cyrus is used to hearing. He remains silent, partly to take in this shift, but also due to being unable to answer. Despite this, he doesn't look away from her. "I know I often joke about not believing the things Lissa's told me about you and Amy, but I took the stuff about your depression to heart."

"That's the front Lissa was referring to; that's where I improved. I am still…" He sighs as his voice trails off. "I'll never get over the fear of losing the people I care about, not after Lord Origin confirmed that my fear is valid."

"Valid in what way? Did someone really tell you that the universe is out to make you suffer?" He nods. "And you believed that person?"

"Clarisse, Lord Origin is the head god of Erdboden." She falls silent, taking a moment to process the notion before her eyes grow wide. "As the god responsible for overseeing the machinations of not just Erdboden, but the entirety of the universe I live in, he understands how it functions better than anyone else."

"Then that's all the more reason for you to stay here with Lissa, right?"

"I can't ask my friends to uproot their lives to come here with me. I can't ask my love and liege to give up her dream for me; she saved me from self-destruction, Clarisse. No amount of suffering is too great if Gwenivere's happiness is my compensation." She looks to him with a disappointed expression, but can only shift her focus to look to the covers, unable to offer a retort. Cyrus adopts a pained expression in turn. "I love Lissa, Clarisse; I actually considered betraying my devotion when she offered me an easy out. For the longest time, I thought I was a lost cause that couldn't be fixed – that my only redeeming quality was my ability to serve my liege."

"Lissa changed that?"

"Yes. The act of leaving this world, knowing that she won't see me again for years at a time, it pains me in ways I can't describe. I can't bring her home to Erdboden yet; I'm still not strong enough to protect her from the forces out to make me suffer." He motions to sit himself up, not wanting to look at the ceiling again. "The pain of temporary separation is far more preferable to the pain I'd feel from knowing her death is my fault. I'm the reason my family burned to death in that inferno…and I tried to kill myself without even knowing I was the cause." He shakes his head in an effort to rid it of the distressed thoughts swimming through it. "I can't even begin to imagine what I'd do if I lost Lissa."

"She'd be willing to take the risk; she doesn't handle the separation nearly as well as you do." Seeing Cyrus' pained expression increase in its intensity, she can only think to herself, ' _I guess he already realizes that._ ' She gently rests her hand on his chest and pushes him back down to the bed. "I want you to take it easy for a bit. The morning is still young, since it's only 5AM. We can handle our quests later."

As she rises from the bed and motions over to Balto, Cyrus calls out to her. "I wish to hear your opinion." She turns to him, her expression expectant. "What's your take on all this?"

"I don't think either of you is inherently wrong, but I think Lissa has given less of her share of the plot than you have. She goes half-in with how she conveys her feelings. You get support when you need it, and I'm sure you provide for her in turn, but…from the way you're acting, and from what you've said…it's like Lissa hasn't told you just how important you are to her." She gently wakes Balto, who lets out a yawn before shaking his body. "I'm gonna talk with her about this at some point; I suggest you get ready to hear her in full."

After two additional hours of rest, Cyrus steps down to the ground floor of the inn, where he can see Diana playing with a few of the cats alongside Fae. Her injuries appear to be completely healed, which brings his worry at ease. He steps over to the group, dropping to one knee so that he may gently scratch Friedrich's neck. Looking to Diana, he says, "Glad to see you're alright, Mom. I failed to lead us properly, so you got injured; I'm sorry."

"What happened was not your fault, Cyrus. Truth be told, I was useless in that battle after those Eerie Chokers robbed me of my voice." She frowns, recalling the encounter. "Were we back home, I could have commanded my wraiths with a thought; the power loss was more impacting than I gave it credit for."

"You get used to it." He turns to Fae. "You doing alright, little one?"

"Yup! Are we gonna go to the 4th Stratum today?"

"I'm…not sure, actually. We still have requests to handle." He rises to his feet, taking a moment to stretch his back. Just like before, Fae flinches upon hearing the loud popping sound that results from this action. "Speaking of, we can finally turn in some reports." To this end, he makes way for the Twilight Tavern with Fae, Diana, and Gwenivere in tow. Mia is here, and timidly waves to the Seekers upon seeing them. Setting the materials onto the table, Cyrus says, "A thousand pardons for the wait, Mia; we're normally more prompt about handling our quests."

"D- Don't worry about it…I heard that you guys were rushing to save a pair of other explorers. Everyone in the city really loves those two."

Resting a hand on her hip, Gwenivere says, "I just hope we haven't pushed the wedding back; I would hate to put your chance at happiness on hold."

Smiling at Mia, Fae says, "I bet you're going to look really pretty in your dress." Mia blushes at this, growing quite flustered in her attempts to depreciate her own value. Looking to Diana, she asks, "Is this that 'modesty' thing?"

"Not quite, sweetheart."

Rising to her feet, Mia grabs hold of the materials and carefully stores them amongst her other belongings. Bowing to the party, she says, "I can't thank you all enough; I- I'm sure Thadius will think I'm pretty if I wear this."

Raising an eyebrow to this, Cyrus says, "Does Thadius not comment on you when you two are together? He's sung your praises up and down in the conversations we've had with him." She blushes at this, unable to give a reply. "Take pride in who you are, Mia; that's the person Thadius fell for, as well as the person he's put this much effort into pleasing." She nods to this, a more confident smile forming on her lips. After thanking the Seekers for their help one last time, she departs from the tavern. Mirina walks over to the group, a smile on her face in turn. "Those two will be alright, Matron."

"Yeah, I get the same feeling. So I heard from some of the night owls that you returned from the Labyrinth in pretty bad shape; what happened?" It is at this point that Cyrus and Diana recount the events of last night's encounter. "That seed grew into a monster?!" She face-palms. "Give me a minute, I gotta talk with the client." She takes off without giving the group a chance to respond.

Watching her depart, Diana asks, "Is the client going to be alright?"

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere replies, "Jenetta's older sister managed to avoid Mirina's fury, so perhaps this client will be fine, too." After 15 minutes of waiting, the Seekers can see that Mirina has returned; she wears a pleasant expression on her face, though this doesn't put anyone at ease. "That smile could mean anything, really."

"Yeah, that could be the same smile Lady Belle wore when she learned you were the one who ate her last slice of carrot cake."

"Cyrus, darling – we do not mention that event."

"Good news – She totally understood. She's apologized for putting you through that experience, and added something extra to the reward."

Fae asks, "How did she even get a seed like that?"

"Turns out, her family got that seed from an explorer. It was probably from the 3rd Stratum, but since it can't grow out here in Iorys, they must have forgotten about that detail." She sighs, shaking her head at the development. "I'm gonna be wary of my flowerbed for awhile. Anyway, I'm glad you're all OK – I was told that Cyrus got the worst of it."

"Indeed. That tree got the drop on us and we didn't have bunker support. We'll have to be more cautious in the future. We're ready to tackle those other quests now that Lili and Solor are safe."

"Ah, good to hear. One of them comes from a new explorer, a Fencer actually." She points to a table, where a lone swordsman sits. "You can speak with him for the details." Another sighs escapes her as her expression turns dour. "This next one won't be easy. The request comes from a noble who likes to collect armor. The client wants an Ebon Breastplate, which comes from the Headless Hunter." Cyrus and Gwenivere reel back at the name. "Yeah, I know; he'd like the Conditional Drop as well, but that's not required. Go at your own pace."

After exchanging farewells with Mirina, the group approaches the swordsman, whose expression brightens as he realizes that they must be veterans. When Cyrus confirms that the party has taken his request, the young man smiles and nods. "Much appreciated, guys. I may not look it, but I'm actually the leader of my Guild. You see, we're working our way through the fifth floor right now, and we just found out that shortcuts exist between floors!"

Cyrus' eyes widen at this. "You mean to tell me that you've been traversing the fourth floor without knowing about the shortcut?" The swordsman nods. "Goodness. If you're strong enough to handle that floor in one go and continue on to the fifth, I can only imagine how strong you'll be by the time you reach the Stratum Boss."

The swordsman rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. His cheeks turn red as he says, "I mean, it kinda took us a week to find the shortcut leading from the second floor to the third. That's a bit much, I think, so I wanted to ask some veterans for help. Do you think you could help us find the shortcut that leads from the fourth floor to the fifth?" Cyrus unfurls the Seekers' map of the fourth floor and quickly points out the location of the shortcut. "Whoa, your map looks way different from ours; we've been marking water as walls. Anyway, thanks! We'll go check it out, so could you wait for a bit?" He departs from the tavern, only to return about an hour later. Curiously, he is alone. "It was there, just like you said! Thank you so much! You guys are in a league of your own."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "It helps that my Guild has six years worth of experience."

"Six? Iorys isn't the first Yggdrasil you've explored?" Cyrus shakes his head, explaining that the Seekers have cleared the Labyrinths of four countries prior to this. "Wait, you're the Seekers?!"

"Yes, that's right. You wouldn't recognize the three ladies accompanying me since they're the newest additions." He extends his hand, a soft smile on his face as he follows, "You might be familiar with me, however. I'm Cyrus, the original founder of the Seekers, as well as the standing leader for the Etrian Branch and now the Iorys Branch. Well met, young explorer."

As he shakes Cyrus' hand, he says, "It's a real honor. I thought you were supposed to be a mage?"

"Normally, I am, but," he says as he directs the swordsman's attention to Gwenivere and Diana, "My wife and mother have the elemental front covered, so I have the opportunity to go back to my roots as a swordsman."

"My Guild's got a long way to go before we reach you guys, but just you wait!" Cyrus nods to this, stating that he looks forward to the day this Guild makes a name for itself. "Alright, we need to get to work, so we'll see you around! Later!"

He then departs, prompting Mirina to step over to the party. "Couldn't help but overhear all of that. He was, well, really loud. It's good that he's energetic, but I worry about those types the most." She looks to where the young swordsman once stood, her worried expression returning. "To spend a week on the same floor; I wonder if you can keep with that sort of pace."

Diana says, "The lad may be a tad unobservant, but he is likely skilled in other areas to make up for it. If Cyrus' praise is anything to go off of, having the fortitude to brave two floors in a single sitting is impressive in this world."

"I suppose that's true. So, what's next for you guys?"

Cyrus says, "Time to head back to the inn and sit down while I think of a way to approach the Headless Hunter. I had a chance to observe one while I was rushing to aid the party that was chasing after Lili and Solor." His expression contorts to show immense displeasure, bordering on anger. "I did not like any of what I saw. It's weak to Fire, but abuses this and actively tries to put itself in situations where it will take Fire damage."

Fae tilts her head this. "How does that work?"

"One Skill it can use targets your mind; though it imbues your regular attacks with innate Fire damage, it can also inflict Panic. If you hit it with Fire damage, it'll use a Skill that attempts to inflict Curse, which overwrites Panic. If your attacks are imbued via Blaze Oil or that other Skill I mentioned, your chances of getting hit with Curse are basically guaranteed."

"Yikes, that sounds really bad."

"It gets worse, Fae. After using that Curse Skill, it'll use this powerful axe attack that hits everyone in the party; if you have an Ailment – and you likely will – then the attack has a high chance of instantly slaying the target."

Mirina dons a dubious expression and asks, "How in the world did you learn all of that without dying?"

"I arrived to assist Aria's Guild; they were dangerously close to being annihilated by that axe Skill. This has to be one of the most concise FOEs I've ever observed." He shakes his head, visibly distressed by the work ahead. "We'll…have to handle this later, Matron; for now, I think we'll train on the 4th Stratum."

"I understand, just be careful out there."

With their business here complete, the group of four returns to Jenetta's Inn. Here, Cyrus assembles the second squad, consisting of Amy, Valerie, Clarisse, Lissa, and himself; the five gather their gear and return to the Fetid Necropolis, intent on finding the stairs leading to the unseen 4th Stratum. The lair of the Undead King yields nothing, and is instead just a perfectly symmetrical area. Looking to the map, Cyrus takes note of a shortcut that is marked as an exit-end, but has no means of reaching its entry-point. "This leads to the staircase."

The rest of his party steps over to look at the map, with Amy blushing as she says, "There was an Ariadne Thread in that chest so we figured it was a trap."

"A fair enough assumption, but at least now we've deduced its actual purpose. Let's go." The party arrives at the wall that supposedly leads further into the floor. Unlike the last time Amy and the others were here, the wall is now cracked, with a breeze blowing through it. Soon, the wall crumbles entirely, revealing a passageway that is large enough for the party to fit through, albeit one member at a time. On the other side is a clearing almost entirely filled with toxic marshes. The staircase leading to the next floor rests at the clearing's northern end. "Simple enough."

As the group ascends, the stagnant air of the Fetid Necropolis gradually fades away, leaving them with a scent that is reminiscent of caves. A light can be seen shimmering at the peak of the climb, and is soon revealed to have been emitted by a cluster of crystals. The Seekers file into the narrow corridor of a crystalline cavern; its walls are lined with tall ore deposits that shimmer within the glow of even the smallest amount of light that shines down from the ceiling. The party is left speechless at the sight.

Clarisse steps over to study the ores more closely. Though she is not an expert on minerals, even she can tell how valuable all of this must be. "Co, how much can we get for this cyan ore?"

He chuckles at the question. "I haven't studied the exchange rates of this world, Clarisse; I can't tell from just a glance yet." She pouts at this, practically glaring at him. "Come now, don't be so upset." He takes a moment to channel aether into his left arm, but quickly finds that, unlike the Stratum below, the element of darkness is much weaker here. Though this brings a sad expression to his face, he nods in acceptance all the same. "Very well."

"My Miasma Armor is triggering pretty consistently now, Chief; do you wanna try relying on it?"

He shakes his head as he removes his katana from his hip. He offers it to Amy, who holds on to it without saying a word. With a snap of his fingers, Cyrus creates a portal of darkness from which he pulls a metallic holster. He secures this to what remains of his left arm before retrieving his katana from Amy. The weapon's sheath is then secured to this holster, effectively keeping the weapon prepped for drawing slashes at all times. "I'll go back to fighting like this." He then steps over to Clarisse, offering a hand to help her to her feet. Smiling at her, he says, "If you'd like, I can fashion an accessory for you using the ore here." After taking a moment to look over the varying cuts of emerald, beryl, and sapphire, he chuckles. "Some of these would really bring out your eyes."

She blushes at this. "Eh? C- Co, stop flirting with me…" She then looks to Lissa, who is snickering at Clarisse's embarrassment. "And you should be reprimanding him!" She crosses her arms, letting out a huff and puffing her cheek. "Honestly."

"To be fair, Reese, I'd be willing to share him with you if you happened to fall for him." Clarisse's expression shifts to one of shock upon hearing this, though she is also left speechless. "I admit that I wasn't too enthused about the idea of him having a harem when we first started dating, but I grew to learn what the harem actually meant. Even without meeting Lady Gwenivere, I could tell that her efforts were meant to give Cyrus a chance to be around people he had long since been denied." She glances at her lover, smiling softly at him. "If there's anyone I'd be willing to share this happiness with, it'd be you; you're one of my closest friends, remember?"

"I- I mean, yeah, but…" She lets out a loud sigh of frustration as the redness of her expression deepens in its hue. Taking hold of Lissa's hand, she starts pulling her comrade along the narrow path. "Let's just find the Geomagnetic Pole and get out of here!" Before following along, Cyrus makes note of the exit-end of a shortcut that is just ahead of the staircase. The Geomagnetic Pole is just ahead, so the trek is quite short. The Seekers return to Iorys, making way for the Council Hall to share the news with Prince Ramus.


	28. No Guard Left Behind

Author's Notes: _Sometimes, just sometimes, there comes a chapter that makes question the "Humor" tag, and whether or not I should replace it with "Hurt/Comfort"._

* * *

 **Chapter 28: No Guard Left Behind**

The discovery of the 4th Stratum brings with it an uproar from the populace of Iorys. Mention of the crystals and endless supply of ore deposits has spurned treasure hunters to action. Explorers are hired as bodyguards for these prospectors, for better or worse, and much of the guard corps has become busy with maintaining public order. In the midst of this, the Seekers face a sudden influx of attention; much of this stems from their efforts to assist Solor and Lili with their personal endeavor, but a significant portion of this acclaim can be attributed to this Guild going beyond all others in Iorys. The Chain Squad currently sits within the Twilight Tavern, enjoying a meal to celebrate the clearing of the Fetid Necropolis. Though the gathering was originally intended for the entire Guild, the members of the second squad elected to rest instead.

Aria is here, having caught sight of Fiona when the party was en route to the tavern. She sits between her friend and Cyrus, an arm wrapped around the farthest shoulder of the former. She raises a mug in toast of the Guild's accomplishments. "Oh, and a toast to Cyrus, who totally saved our bacon in the Third Stratum!" She looks to him, a smile on her face. "You were crazy out there. I didn't know we Earthlains could move like that. Imagine if you were born a Therian…"

Fae giggles at this; before taking a sip of her orange juice, she says, "I wanna see Uncle as a wolf like Balto."

Grinning at her comrade, Fiona reaches over to poke Cyrus' cheek as she says, "I bet you'd make for an adorable kitty, Cyrus." A young Therian girl approaches the table; in her arms is a puppy, and at her side is a young Celestrian mage carrying an icy blue tome. The Celestrian mage appears to be nervous, for he is looking to the floor. "Hey there; how's it going?"

The mage works up his courage to look up, quickly becoming flustered upon seeing Fiona's smiling face. He steels his nerves, though he makes no physical motions to present as much. "Are you the Seekers Guild?" Fiona nods. "It's an honor to meet you!"

The Therian girl giggles. "My friend here is a big fan of you guys! I'm too young to be an explorer, but when me and my puppy get older, we're gonna join a Guild, too!"

The mage groans at this. "At least you have a good head on your shoulders; our Pugilist has meat for brains. I wish he'd stop rushing in on his own."

Fiona shifts her gaze over to Cyrus, donning a catty smile. "Now, now, Fiona; I changed, remember?" Looking to the mage, he says, "You're gonna want to sit down and talk with that Pugilist of yours. I've been through three Labyrinths, not counting Iorys' Yggdrasil, and can safely say that, out of all of them, the only Labyrinth that is more dangerous with its Random Encounters is Etria's."

Adding to this, Hayato says, "You don't wanna get aggressive with the Pugilist, though; let him know where you're coming from." The mage nods to this before thanking the party for their time and departing alongside his Therian friend. Mirina steps over, smiling down at her patrons. "Hello, Matron."

"Hey yourself, Prince Hayato. The city's in a real tizzy because of you guys; the bar usually isn't this lively in the morning. Believe it or not, we've already got some quests rolling in."

Gwenivere raises an eyebrow to this. "It's barely been three hours since the others returned."

Mirina chuckles at this. "You could say everyone has been waiting for this moment." Pulling out the usual clipboard, she says, "There are three quests for you, although one takes place on the 13th floor." Seeing Cyrus' raised eyebrow, she says, "The Guard Corps embarked on a mission into the Labyrinth not long ago, but they've yet to return. Worse still, no one's heard any reports."

Gwenivere frowns at this. "They can't call in for a search party; the paperwork would take forever."

When Cyrus unfurls the map before Mirina, she motions to the empty space beneath the southern end of the floor. Seeing this brings despair to the countenances of both Fiona and Cyrus. They say nothing, but Mirina knows their expressions all too well. "I don't even know how they got to this area, but your job is to send them relief supplies."

Fiona looks to Cyrus and asks, "Do you think we need to locate the Yggdrasil Key first?"

"I hope not. There is a shortcut just in front of the staircase leading to the 14th floor; perhaps it wasn't an exit-end, but was just sealed." Looking to Mirina, he asks, "So what are the other two?"

"There's an architect a few tables over; please speak with him about the details. As for the last one, it comes from the same little girl who asked you to find ores within the Fetid Necropolis." She chuckles, her smile returning as she follows, "I guess she's taken a shine to you. She's actually waiting here, so please speak with her."

As the Seekers rise from their seats, Aria bids them farewell. "Best of luck out there, guys; get in a good stab for me, Fio!"

The first client to catch their attention is the architect, for he is garbed in shimmering accessories and garish red robes. Upon noticing the party, he looks to them, soon realizing that they must be the group that accepted his request. "Well met, explorers. I'll get straight to the point. Recently, I was digging through the warehouse my grandfather left behind when I found an old document. Within it was a rather curious entry. 'Within the crystal forest grows Shining Bark', and beside it was a beautifully illustrated tree of glimmering branches and shimmering leaves."

Trying to imagine this for herself, Fae's eyes don a twinkle as she says, "That sounds really pretty."

"The moment I saw it, inspiration struck. I swore I'd build a luxury house out of Shining Bark; it'd be my magnum opus!"

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere adopts a look of mild surprise. "Huh, that's how my husband reacted when he found out the legendary gem he used for my engagement ring was real." She looks to Cyrus; "I suppose all of you craftsmen share a kinship."

The architect seems to agree, for he nods as a smile forms on his face. "Your husband is a man dedicated to his craft. How fortuitous that you are the ones to have accepted my request. I'd like for you all to gather samples of Shining Bark that grow around the Lucent Hollows. Just one is fine, but I am willing to collect up to five at present. Your reward will be increased, of course."

The architect wishes the party luck in its endeavor, allowing them to take their leave and approach the young girl waiting for them. Her signature tome is as large as ever, but no longer strikes the Seekers as being out of place. Upon seeing Cyrus, she smiles, hopping down from her chair to run over to him. A wide and bright smile is worn upon her face as she looks up to him. "Hello again, Mr. Co!" Everyone snickers at this. "Are you here to take a break?"

He drops to one knee, looking the child in the eye as he says, "Actually, we've accepted your new request, young lady."

She jumps for joy upon hearing this. "That makes me happy; you did a real good job last time! So, um, have you ever seen crystal monsters? My book says tons of them live in Yggdrasil's prismatic caverns."

"I haven't encountered such creatures in this world, but where I come from? My friends and I had to fight through an entire stronghold of them in a fight to save the world. The stronghold itself was fully comprised of crystal."

Her eyes light up at this. "That sounds amazing…but I guess it would be too dangerous for a kid like me to go." It is at this moment that she notices Fae. "Oh, hello! Are you Mr. Co's daughter?"

"Nope, Uncle Cyrus isn't as old as my daddy, and Aunt Gwen isn't as old as mommy, either."

"I'm not actually her uncle, but it's fine for her to refer to me as such."

"Huh. Wait, Fae, you're not an explorer, are you?" Fae nods, imitating Gwenivere as she rests her hands on her hips and lets out a haughty huff. "That's so cool! Can I ask you and your friends to show me any materials you find from crystal monsters?"

She nods as she says, "Sure, we'll find really pretty ones for you!" She and her comrades bid the girl farewell and depart from the tavern; looking up to Cyrus, she asks, "What's the plan, Uncle?"

"I'm going to take a team into the Fetid Necropolis to see if we can assist those guards."

"C- Can I go with you?" He adopts a look of surprise at this notion. "I want to help out!"

"Fae, dear, we're dealing with real ghosts and zombies; the kinds of things your parents tell you lurk under the bed at night. That wasteland is not meant for your eyes to see."

"I- I'll be fine!"

He sighs at this, dropping to one knee as he rests a hand on her shoulder. "Sweetie, your legs are shaking."

"That's because I'm scared of you saying 'no'; I ain't afraid of no ghost! I can't get better if you keep me away from the scary stuff, Cyrus. Please?"

"Gwen, please talk sense into her."

Gwenivere crouches down beside Fae, motioning to rest some of her hair behind her ear. "Sweetie, why are you suddenly fixated on visiting this Stratum? You were terribly frightened before."

"P-" She stops herself, glancing over to Hayato, as if for confirmation. He nods to her, prompting the girl to take a deep breath to steel her nerves. She exhales, nodding before she answers Gwenivere's question. "Prince Hayato wants to go too; h- he's trying to get stronger so the ghosts don't bother him. I wanna, well um…I wanna make sure the rest of you don't get hurt."

Fiona directs her attention to Hayato, resting a hand on her hip. "Are you sure you're ready for that, Lord Hayato?"

"I want to take the chance. What if you need me out there? What if another boss shows up in a secret area and my Skills are needed to defend against it?" He shakes his head, stepping forward to rest a hand on Cyrus' shoulder. "I need to be there, Fiona; I want to be there."

Looking to his comrade, Cyrus' expression shifts to show concern. His gaze seems to pierce through Hayato, even though it is gentle in its visage. "Taking on more than you can handle is ill-advised, Lord Hayato." As Hayato motions to speak, he follows, "I know that is hypocritical of me to say, but you could go insane from this. I wouldn't be able to look your father in the eye if I let something happen to you." The entire group falls silent at this, with Cyrus' eyes momentarily growing wide as he realizes what he just said. He breaks eye contact, looking to the ground instead. "I know what it's like to experience madness; don't force your friends to bear witness to that – don't make the same mistake I did."

Looking to Gwenivere, Hayato asks, "No, seriously, why is he still in Erdboden? Can't you order him to stay here?"

"He would reject that order without hesitation, little prince. My word is usually absolute, but there are things Cyrus will not bend on…regardless of what punishments his defiance will bring." She sighs, rising to her feet as she looks to her husband. "That is the nature of his loyalty; I cannot change that." She adopts a sad expression. "I do wish you'd let me take some liberties."

"There is no liberty you could grant that would allow me to stay here while still ruling at your side in Erdboden." He rises to his feet, taking a moment to ruffle Fae's hair before adopting his stern expression. "Are you certain you wish to do this, Fae?"

"You told me at the start of the month that I'd see things that would scare me. I wanted to join anyway, so let me prove myself!" She balls her tiny hands into fists, bringing them close to her chest as a fierce look of determination – as fierce as she can muster – forms her countenance. She directs this to Cyrus, doing her best to stare into his eyes. "I'm not all talk!"

A long silence befalls the group before Cyrus nods. "Very well; we'll be counting on you, as ever." He then steps over to Fiona and says, "May I borrow your sword hand for a moment?" She holds her right hand out to him, allowing him to slip an Almighty Ring onto her ring finger. Just like Gwenivere, Fiona feels a surge of power course through her after a moment passes. Cyrus nods in recognition of his craft. "Another perfect fit."

"That power surge felt really nice…" She quickly shakes her head, her cheeks turning red. "Thanks for the upgrade, Cyrus; I appreciate it."

"Worry not, friend; I'll still endeavor to get you a proper birthday present when the time comes."

"My, aren't we the giving type? Perhaps you are a good fit for me." Cyrus rolls his eyes at this, walking off to the direction of Jenetta's Inn. "Oh come on, I didn't mean anything by that!" He looks back at her, a disappointed frown upon his lips. He then turns back around to continue walking. "Cyrus! Come back!" She then takes off after him, prompting the rest of the team to follow. It takes a moment for the party to realize that Cyrus made his way back to the inn so that he could swap out his gear. As she waits in the lobby with the rest of the team, Fiona thinks to herself, ' _Couldn't he just warp his gear around?_ '

As Cyrus steps into view, she realizes why he had to walk all the way here. Not only has his gear changed, his clothes have as well. Covering his torso is a black t-shirt featuring writing upon it. In large, bold letters, the shirt makes a very simple statement: "I love Concordia", except the word "love" is represented as a giant pink heart. Gwenivere's cheeks turn red at this, leaving Fiona and Hayato to snicker as silently as they can. Cyrus also wears a pair of blue jeans, a sight that no one seems used to seeing – not even Gwenivere. Upon his feet is a pair of black running shoes. Upon their sides, a pair of words denotes their brand – "Air Boden". His sword rests behind his waist, as always, suggesting that he is running his Fencer setup.

After rolling the shoulder of his sword arm, he says, "Sorry about that, everyone; we can depart whenever you're ready." Seeing Gwenivere's face, he adopts a look of concern. "My liege, do you need to rest?"

"No, no, Cyrus…I'm quite alright. Why did you bring that shirt here?"

He adopts a look of confusion as he looks down. Nothing about the shirt seems amiss, causing him to shrug. "I love this shirt? I love you? I enjoy my fair share of bragging about the love we share?"

Gwenivere has taken to covering her face with one hand while waving at Cyrus with the other. Though muffled, her message is clear. "Please, stop; this is embarrassing." She walks over and grabs hold of his hand. "Let's just get moving."

"You do not wish for me to change the shirt?"

Her blush deepens as she looks away from him. "No. This…this is fine."

Resting her hands on her hips, Fiona dons her catty smile and asks, "Changed your tune after he mentioned the bragging, eh, Milady?"

"I haven't the faintest as to what you're talking about, fair Dame."

The party then travels to the Fetid Necropolis; stepping up to the 13th floor, Cyrus preemptively channels aether into his left arm to conjure its replacement. This act brings shock to both Fae and Hayato. Taking note of this, he realizes, "Oh, right, you two haven't seen the boons this Stratum grants me."

Gwenivere says, "I may have been present for the entirety of this Stratum's exploration, but I am still surprised to see it works so seamlessly." She glances back to see Hayato has prepped his bow; her eyes momentarily grow wide at this as she jumps back and readies her staff. "Where's the enemy, little Prince?!"

He takes aim at Cyrus' shadow. "Cyrus, don't move; I can't risk shooting you!"

In light of this, Cyrus glances back to see that Lord Wrath's outline has replaced his shadow, causing the man to sigh. Gwenivere lets out a sigh in turn, though hers is out of relief. She sheathes her weapon, which puts Fiona at ease; Hayato keeps his arrow nocked. Looking to Fae, he says, "Fae, if you have nightmares after this, I promise to be there whenever you need me." The young Botanist tilts her head at this, having not noticed Cyrus' shadow.

When Lord Wrath rises from the shadow and towers above Cyrus, Fae jumps back. "Whoa!" Upon realizing that this entity isn't attacking anyone, she walks over and looks up to him. Placing a finger on her chin, her eyes adopt an inquisitive gleam as she introduces herself and asks, "Who are you?"

Lord Wrath is taken aback by this, his featureless eyes still managing to convey a degree of emotion. He takes a knee, despite still towering over the child by a significant margin. After introducing himself, he says, "You could say I'm Cyrus' partner."

"A demon partner? Like out of a manga? Do you turn into a cool sword? Ooh! Do you fuse with Uncle?!"

Lord Wrath looks to Cyrus, his surprise now replaced with confusion. "A fearless one, isn't she?" Cyrus can only shrug, chuckling at Fae's lack of fear. Turning his attention back to her, Lord Wrath says, "Cyrus can call upon me for a boost in his abilities, but no, there are no transformations." Fae then grabs hold of one of his arms, specifically his wrist; she runs her hands along the surface, giggling as she comments on how fluffy his fur is. "A brave child indeed." He picks her up and rests the child upon his shoulder, rising to his feet to address Fiona and Hayato. Looking the former, he says, "You don't seem too terribly bothered by my existence."

She shrugs at this, resting a hand on her hip. "My friend's business is his own; I trust him to confide in me when he needs to, but I have no need for information he's not willing to reveal." She looks to Cyrus, her expression suggesting intrigue as she says, "Still, a demonic pact, and at such a young age. You really would do anything for Lady Gwenivere." Cyrus remains silent at this, simply nodding as his only reply. Glancing over at Hayato, Fiona can see that he's lowered his bow. "Are you alright, Lord Hayato?"

"I- I think so. I can feel malice emanating from Lord Wrath, but…it's no different from what emanates from Cyrus."

Directing the party's attention to the shortcut that leads to the ascending staircase, Lord Wrath says, "I am sensing something from that dead end you marked a while back – the one to the south." The party looks among itself before deciding to travel to this location. Lord Wrath carries Fae the entire way, not terribly bothered by the task. As he sets her down, Cyrus steps forward to investigate the area. Joining him, Lord Wrath places his hand upon a section of a seemingly innocent wall. It then collapses to give way to a hidden passage. "We were caught completely unaware." He sinks back into Cyrus' shadow, his distorted voice fading as he says, "Good luck with your exploration."

The Seekers are immediately accosted by a foul stench upon emerging from this hidden passage. Fae quickly makes a slew of filter masks for her comrades to wear, donning her own with arguably more haste. "Ugh, that's awful!" She looks to Cyrus, who hasn't donned his mask; his expression looks perturbed, but this quickly sinks into what Fae can only assume is rage. "Uncle? What's the matter?"

"This is the smell of blood. We should hurry. Milady, cast Invisibility; we haven't the luxury of dealing with Random Encounters." She nods to him, taking a few moments to recite a chant before casting a clear veil around her comrades. Cyrus nods to this, stepping forward. "Thank you, my dear; let's move." A cursory investigation of the area the small path leads to reveals it to be an atrium of sorts. Four paths exist to be chosen, with two of them being mired by toxic marshes. The notion of this brings a frown to Cyrus' face. ' _We really don't have time for this._ ' Before he can give the order, Gwenivere has already cast Levitation, granting her party the freedom to traverse these paths without worry. "Thank you, Gwen."

Of the paths available, the bottom-most is chosen first. At the end of its short, winding path is a door, which the party proceeds through. It opens into a clearing where sunlight beams into the area. There is also a copious amount of bodies scattered limply across the ground, a sight that brings the Seekers to pause. Beneath the spatters of dirt and blood, Cyrus and Fiona recognize the insignia of Iorys. Fiona's expression is twisted to show her disgust. "Something attacked the Guard Corps." She and Cyrus rush over to scout for survivors, calling out to them in hopes of getting a response. To their relief, one guard has enough control of his faculties to take notice of them; he lifts his head, weakly raising his voice.

"My god, a person! Wait, are you all explorers?!" Fiona nods to him, allowing him to ramble for a moment. During this rambling, Cyrus brings to her attention the fact that none of the guards are dead – they're simply lying down. The two concede that they are all more than likely injured, but their lives do not appear to be in immediate danger. The Seekers then begin to dole out the relief supplies Mirina supplied to them; the soldiers wolf their rations down with impunity and a distinct lack of grace, suggesting that they were famished. Fae works together with Cyrus to address any wounds that the Guard Corps might have.

When it seems as if the strength of the guards has returned, the Seekers let out a sigh of relief. Fae wipes sweat from her brow, letting out a sigh of relief as she takes a seat next to Hayato. "No one's dead; that's good."

The guards offer a salute to the Seekers, as well as a cheer. The man Fiona originally addressed speaks up again. "Thank you so much for this! We would've been dead meat without your assistance."

Cyrus' expression eases into something softer, but his eyes still suggest that he's wary of some unknown matter. "We're glad to have saved so many of you, but what happened here?"

The guard becomes slightly distressed, as if recalling some unfortunate event that was otherwise repressed. "R- Right." The hesitation in his voice is telling, as is his suddenly apprehensive posture. "We were here on a patrol mission. Just when we thought our excursion was wrapping up, we-" His statement is cut off as his eyes widen and a scream escapes his throat. He points behind the party, towards the door they used to enter here.

Turning around, the party is met with what appears to be a Roaming Wraith. Its piercing red gaze, shining from the darkness beyond its pulled hood, causes Fae to take a step back as she draws her bow. The guard shouts that this creature is the one responsible for his unit's distress, claiming that it not only stole their supplies, but also trapped them here. Drawing his sword, Cyrus steps forward. "It's weak to Ice; we're running the usual FOE setup! Milady, to the fore!" Once she steps forward, he looks to Fae and says, "Use Guard Order alongside Fiona." He glances at Hayato as he follows, "Hail Prayer, Lord Hayato." The frigid card is already held between Hayato's fingers before Cyrus' statement is complete.

As the rest of the party establishes the buff roster, the Luring Phantom makes an attempt at slashing Cyrus, likely due to him sporting the least amount of armor. Even though Fae's Dark Bomb fails to impair the target's vision, the creature completely fails at hitting Cyrus at all. Cyrus moves his head to the side, dodging the first strike, followed by performing a side step to avoid the next. He ducks to avoid another sweeping strike, and then jumps to avoid a strike meant to sever his legs. "You lack focus." He then charges in, faster than the Luring Phantom anticipated, and delivers three consecutive ice-imbued thrusts of his blade. He jumps back to put some distance between him and the target. He triggers the use of Tri-Shield between himself, Fae, and Fiona. ' _That Guard Order was wasted, but I suspect we won't need it._ '

Seeing that Fiona has prepped Chain Freeze, Cyrus rushes back in to strike at the Luring Phantom's eyes; he fails to blind the creature, much to his surprise, but Fiona follows up with a frigid thrust all the same, even managing to double up on her strike. As she removes her blade, she jumps out of the way to allow Gwenivere's use of Icicle Lance to run the creature through where its chest would be. Though it does not fall, it does grant Fiona another follow-up. Hayato tosses another card towards the sky, granting his allies the effect of the Haste Prayer. Fae tosses a bomb in order to trigger the effects of Smokeblight. Her efforts were too slow to grant the party any real benefit for their assault, but it will provide assistance for the next bout. Unfortunately for Cyrus, the Phantom nicks his arm. Though the damage is nullified by Tri-Shield, the fact that he was struck at all results in his Ray of Light stacks dispersing. He clicks his tongue in frustration at this notion.

Knowing that her comrades will likely need to reinstate their buffs soon, Gwenivere triggers a Union Skill between the five of them, firing Chain Blast at the Phantom in hopes of disabling it. Its mobility is reduced, but that is all she could manage. ' _Damn it. Now we don't have Hygeia's Bowl on standby._ ' She grits her teeth in frustration at her failure, but prepares her next casting of Icicle Lance to support Fiona all the same.

After Cyrus charges in to deliver another Deft Thrust, the Phantom is too distracted to defend itself from Fiona's follow-up. She side-steps out of view to allow Hayato to hit the creature with a frigid explosion triggered by his goofy jig; Fiona follows up on this in turn, taking advantage of the damage increase. When the creature is struck by another Icicle Lance, Fiona follows up once more. As she falls back, she can see that Fae is making another attempt at blinding the creature. "This one's quite tenacious!" Fae's bomb explodes right in the face of her target, prompting her to cheer. It attacks Cyrus, missing the mark by such an astounding margin that the man in question dodged by simply standing still. He shrugs and delivers a single stab to the back of its head. Fiona is so caught up in the moment that she snickers at the sight, which does unfortunately cause her to miss a potential follow-up.

The Luring Phantom suddenly decides to spin in place, casting some sort of spell that dispels the effects of Hail Prayer on everyone except Fiona and Hayato, two who no longer had the prayer's effects to begin with. Fiona confers to Cyrus that she can feel a sudden increased susceptibility to Fire damage. Glancing at the still-spinning creature, he posits that, "A party-wide Fire Skill is inbound; everyone, assist Fiona – we'll stop it with a bombardment!" While the party readies itself to carry out that task, Cyrus uses ice magic to impair the creature's vision through the use of Phantom Swords. ' _A little insurance._ '

Gwenivere's use of Icicle Lance catches the creature off guard entirely, stopping whatever attack it was prepping. Fiona charges in and delivers two follow-ups to make up for how Cyrus won't be able to supply Chain fuel during this bout. She delivers two more follow-ups after this, one a piece for the single arrow fired by Fae and Hayato. She can see that Gwenivere is rushing back to the front line; ' _If she's extending Amplifier, I'll need to redouble my focus with Chain Plus._ '

Hayato, in turn, extends the duration of the Haste Prayer to supplement Cyrus' evasive needs. Fae tosses another Smokeblight, electing to extend its effects in turn since no one appears to be attacking this round except Cyrus. Cyrus dodges another strike after baiting the target's attention through the use of Deft Thrust. It is after Fiona's next volley that Cyrus makes a mistake, committing too strongly to a feint that rewards him with the Luring Phantom's ribbon-like appendage stabbing through his chest. The creature misses vital organs, but Cyrus' frame is so wracked with pain that he collapses all the same.

"Fi-Fi! Fall back and use Chain Plus again!" She rushes to the fore, not really giving Fiona a chance to retort. The Fencer complies, taking her place with the rear line. Seeing that the creature is about to strike with Slash Sweep again, she puts up her guard and shouts for Hayato and Gwenivere to do the same. This act spares Gwenivere an unfortunate fate of succumbing to what would have been far worse injuries, but Fae herself is not nearly as lucky. She collapses from the pain brought forth from the enemy slicing her arms open. When she next opens her eyes, Hayato and Fiona loom over her. "What happened?"

As he tosses the card representing Haste Prayer to the sky, Hayato explains that, "Gwenivere knocked the creature off balance again, so we took that time to revive you and Cyrus."

"Where's Uncle now?" She sits herself up and gets the answer to her question. As expected, Cyrus is charging back into the fray, making use of Deft Thrust to forcibly bring the Luring Phantom's attention back to him. Rising to her feet, Fae ignores the stinging pain in her arms to toss another Dark Bomb, which successfully impairs the creature's vision once more. This proves to be most fortuitous, for Cyrus is granted much leeway in avoiding the incoming strikes. After Fiona unleashes several follow-ups, the party can see that their foe is on its last legs. "U- Uncle! Aunt Gwen has a Union Skill charged!"

He glances back at Gwenivere, who nods to confirm Fae's claim. "Gwenivere, fire the Tri-Magic; we're ending this!" The use of Tri-Magic alone is not enough to slay this beast, for it struggles to prep another strike. This endeavor is quickly squashed as Cyrus and Fiona rush over and stab it in the face. At its limit, the Luring Phantom floats to the sky, fading from existence. The two sheathe their weapons, looking to each other as a smirk forms on their faces. "Always a pleasure, Fiona."

"Likewise, friend. How's your wound?" She looks to see it suddenly patched up by purple threads. Pointing at the sight, she asks, "Is that Lord Wrath at work?" He nods to her. "I see. Well, you can give me the details later."

Cheers of joy can be heard sounding from behind the party, reminding them that they were fighting to protect the guards. The man Fiona previously addressed makes his way over, bowing in apology. "You guys alright? Sorry you had to fight our battle. It looks like you saved us once again."

Fae steps over, likely wanting to check Cyrus' injuries. He rests a hand on her head, chuckling at their victory. Looking to the guard, he says, "This is why we're here, Sir Knight; just think of this as us paying it forward for your service to the people. That in mind, you guys really need to head back to Iorys; the relief supplies included Ariadne Threads as well."

"Right, we'd better hurry and give everyone the good news." He then lets out a short laugh, scratching at his cheek sheepishly. "And I'd love to sleep in a proper bed for a change." He takes hold of the Ariadne Thread as he turns to his troops. They all turn around, offering a salute before the thread envelops them completely.

Cyrus sighs in relief at this. "Mission accomplished; excellent work, team." He then crouches down to take a look at Fae's arms; her wounds are gone, though a faded scar yet remains on each. He clicks his tongue in frustration at this before looking to the child with sadness in his gaze. "You're a real trooper, little angel; I'm sorry my failure put you on the spot like that."

She shakes her head at this. "You don't need to do everything by yourself. Y- Y-" Her lip starts to quiver, her voice catching in her throat. Cyrus' expression shifts to show surprise when he sees the tears welling up in Fae's eyes. She doesn't look away, tightly clenching her fists. "It scares me, you know?" He doesn't respond, caught off guard by this sudden shift. "Watching you get hurt, and then getting back up like there's nothing wrong…I hate it." A few tears fall, prompting her to swiftly wipe her eyes. Despite feeling another batch welling up, she asks, "Why do you do that, Cyrus?"

He rests a hand on her head, his sad expression returning. His countenance strikes the girl as apologetic, but there is also a significant amount of guilt and regret that she doesn't quite yet understand. "I really don't know any better, Fae."

"What do you mean? I thought all adults knew better?" Cyrus quickly refutes this with a shake of the head. "I don't understand."

"Even adults can get stuck in bad habits, little one; it gets easier to avoid that as you grow up, but it's not something that ever fully goes away." He falls silent for a moment, looking to the ground beneath them. "It's hard to explain, but…" he looks to her again, noting her expectant gaze. "I never learned a better way to protect people." Seeing that she still doesn't understand, he follows, "The last time I let someone else try to help me with my problems, I lost my family."

"What? But don't you still have Ms. Diana? Isn't she your mom?"

"She is, yes, but not by birth. She adopted me after I lost my family; she was one of my mom's closest friends, and promised to take care of me if something ever happened to her." A single tear streams from his eye, catching Fae by surprise. "None of us ever thought that 'something' would come to pass, least of all me." A few more tears fall, though he makes no effort to hide them. "I lost a friend because he stopped believing in me, choosing to take an important matter into his own hands. I'm afraid of losing anyone else like that, Fae; the pain of being cut down in battle is nothing compared to the crushing despair I'd feel from losing you or the others."

"But, we're worried about you."

"I know that, sweetheart." His voice starts to break. "I know that…" It is now that Fiona steps over, crouching down to wipe his tears away. "My mistakes have far-reaching consequences, Fae; that's why I try so hard, even when things are so difficult."

Listening to Cyrus speak freely brings a thought to Fiona. ' _I really didn't give him enough credit back then; he did understand me._ ' She motions to bring him closer, holding him in a gentle embrace. She strokes his hair, a nostalgic look taking root as she says, "Honestly, if you had just been that truthful from the start…" He apologizes, his voice barely a whisper as his arms wrap around her. "You don't need to be sorry for this. I think we could all use a break."

She pulls a spool of Ariadne Thread from Cyrus' pocket. She helps him to his feet, rising in turn. After wiping his eyes again, she warps the party back to Iorys, instructing the others to go on ahead to Jenetta's Inn while she makes the report to Mirina. When she steps inside, Mirina is quite happy to see her. Once Fiona is within speaking distance, Mirina says, "Well done out there; one of the guards filled me in on everything. I'm glad there were no casualties, though I was told that Cyrus and Fae got badly injured."

"Both of them are fine now; both Cyrus and Lady Gwenivere have medical training, so they were able to treat Fae's wounds in her stead."

"That's a relief." Seeing that the others aren't here, she asks, "Where are the others now?" Fiona's expression momentarily displays a tinge of sadness. "Fiona?"

She shakes her head. "I told the others to go on ahead; Cyrus…needs a break." She takes a seat at the counter, recounting the events of the quest so that Mirina gets a better understanding of what transpired. "Fae's questioning helped me finally understand where he was coming from three years ago. I had it all wrong."

Mirina slides a drink over to the Fencer. Within the glass is a shimmering blue beverage known as Mana Flame. Fiona thanks the proprietress for the serving, and promptly downs the glass in a single shot; the usual burn that comes from alcohol is swiftly replaced with a cool sensation, one that causes Fiona to involuntarily exhale a sigh of content. Setting the glass aside, she gives Mirina her full attention again. "We can talk about it if you want."

"Thanks, Mirina. I just…I'm having a hard time finding where I stand with him. I was kinda spiteful back then; said some things I regret."

"And yet here you two are now; sometimes I seriously think you're in love."

Fiona chuckles at this, but doesn't make any real effort to deny the notion. "You and everyone else in the Guild. I'm certainly not opposed to the idea; our ideals don't mesh, but I can honestly see myself standing beside him through life's struggles." She chuckles, a nostalgic smile forming on her lips again. "I used to be so jealous of him, mistaking him for a genius who was wasting his talents. I can't really say the notion is valid – the jealousy even less so."

Crossing her arms, Mirina asks, "So your perspective changed, is that it?" Fiona nods to his, but says nothing. "Did you ever ask yourself what you wanted out of all this, Fiona?"

"To be honest? No, not really." She glances at the empty glass beside her, her gaze shading as she wonders if she should order another. Mirina makes the decision in her stead, producing another glass. Fiona chuckles at this, thanking the proprietress before downing the glass once more. The kick is a bit stronger this time, eliciting some sound of surprise from Fiona. "Mm, damn, that's good." She sets the glass aside, looking to Mirina once more. "I'm not really looking for love, Mirina, but I wouldn't mind if it found me down the line." She falls silent for but a moment, staring at the polished counter to gather her thoughts. "You see, all of the women in his harem restore a piece of something he's lost. As close as we are, I can't say I bring anything special."

"Is that really necessary?" Fiona motions to speak; judging from the expression she wears, Mirina can already guess that she's going to make some effort to rationalize the act of optimizing the relationship and its benefits. Holding up a hand to stop this preemptively, she says, "Love isn't so simple that you can just dumb it down to a matter of pragmatism. People are way more complicated than that. Look at Cyrus; he doesn't play favorites, even though I personally think he loves Lissa the most." She chuckles, a smile forming on her lips. Looking to Fiona, her eyes are gentle, despite the piercing nature of their red gaze persisting as always. "Think on it for awhile; if you'd be happy with him, you should go for it. I'm willing to bet he wouldn't mind – who knows, maybe he loves you, too."

Fiona sighs at this, though her smile suggests that she attributes some degree of truth to Mirina's claim. "Can't argue with that." She rises from her seat, setting the payment for her drinks on the counter. "I should head back; thanks for hearing me out, Mirina…I appreciate it."

She giggles at this showing of gratitude, resting a hand on her hip in turn. "Don't worry about it. Go get some rest."

* * *

Author's Notes: _As far as that Event Quest FOE was concerned, the party was fine, but we were under-leveled for the encounter. Your stats play a huge part in battles, even down to how often you get ambushed. This Event FOE was significantly stronger than the actual Roaming Wraith, and is arguably not meant to be faced in combat until you hit the low 40s._


	29. The Moment of Epiphany

**Chapter 29: The Moment of Epiphany**

As Fiona draws closer to the front door of Jenetta's Inn, the sound of a blade slicing through the air catches her attention. The sound originates from the side of the large building, prompting her to make her way over to that location. Here, she finds Cyrus taking practice swings. ' _Why did I just assume it would be Evelyn or Valerie?_ ' She remains at the corner, simply observing her comrade's form and movements. Nothing strikes her as out of the ordinary until Cyrus motions into a heavy swing that causes his blade to rip through the air; this produces the same sound that led her here, only now it is far more pronounced. ' _He doesn't usually commit that intensely._ ' It is now that she calls out to him, stepping over as he lowers his blade and turns to face her. "Why aren't you in bed?"

He shakes his head to this, sheathing his blade. "I get restless, Fiona; you know that."

"Your wounds were pretty bad, Cyrus; practicing is the last thing you should be doing right now." She rests a hand on her hip in an effort to strike an indignant stance, but her expression is capable of showing only concern; her voice matches this concern in turn. Instead of admonishing him, in spite of her desire to do so, she asks, "What's on your mind?" He looks away, albeit briefly, as a shamed countenance takes over his face. When he looks back, Fiona's expression is maintained. "The way you swung your sword just now, that's not how you usually are, Cyrus."

He smirks at this, offering a depreciative chuckle in kind. "My, aren't we attentive today?"

Fiona chuckles in turn, though she offers a warm smile instead of a smirk. "Fae opened my eyes, so my clarity has improved. I have…" Her voice trails off as her expression sinks into something more somber. "I've started to see things that I hadn't noticed before – about you."

That smirk of his turns into a conniving grin as he asks, "Ah, so you've finally noticed that my hair isn't actually black?" She sighs at this, opting to flick his nose as punishment. He recoils, gripping his pained nose with his hand as a scream is suppressed. "Fu- damn it, Fiona; this needs to stop…"

"What you said to Fae put things into perspective for me." Her comrade's attention is caught, though he has yet to let go of his nose. "For a long time now, I've tried to understand where you and I went wrong."

"Fio- ow, damn that stings." He takes a deep breath and exhales, steeling himself to speak through the pain his nose is still in. "Fiona, I thought we cleared this up after the Amalgolem was defeated."

"No, that was only part of it. I understood why you were so focused on the Chain Squad, but not where our conflict came from." She takes a step closer, crossing her arms as she looks to him with a saddened expression. "Everything you said to Fae back in the Fetid Necropolis; was all of that the reason why you behaved as you did in Armoroad?" He says nothing, and though his expression is certainly telling, Fiona is by no means content with that silence. She steps closer again, wrapping her arms around his back as she pulls him into a gentle embrace. Her grip on him tightens, if only slightly. "I'm not here to fight, nor am I here to criticize you again. I just want to understand what you're going through." She lingers in her silence, partly expecting an answer, but also expecting Cyrus to make some effort to slip away – he commits to neither, instead pressing his arm to her back to bring her closer. "Fae's right, you know. We can't just ignore this and hope you get better in time."

"I don't deserve that kind of help, Fiona; if I don't work this out on my own, I run the risk of losing the people I care about."

"For a time, that second bit was probably true. You're stronger now, Cyrus, and I'd like to say your allies are as well. You're wrong about being undeserving, though; anyone would tell you the same." She pulls herself back so that she may meet his gaze with her own; there is a sincerity to her stare, though it is somewhat clouded by her pressing concern. "I can't let you suffer in silence anymore; not when I've learned what I have. I don't know why you couldn't admit this to the others, nor do I understand why no one has called you out on this until now." She brings him closer again, resting the side of her head against his. "I suppose none of that matters, because I'm here for you now, and I promise to remain as such."

"Am I even worth that effort, Fiona?"

"You're worth that and so much more, Cyrus." She pulls away from him, choosing instead to grab hold of his hand as she takes her place at his side. Smiling at him again, she says, "Let's go eat; I know you're hungry after that battle." It is at this moment her own stomach growls, causing her to look down at it before returning her attention to Cyrus. A blush is upon her cheeks as she says, "That was you, not me." He chuckles at this, but is given no proper chance to reply before being pulled along. ' _Worst. Timing. Ever._ '

The break suggested by Fiona lasts much longer than the party initially intended, keeping them from returning to the Fetid Necropolis until after nightfall. As they make their way back to the secret area of the 13th floor, Gwenivere does take a moment to point out that the group currently entertains the boon of not having to worry about toxic marshes. With the guards safe and secure back in Iorys, the paths that weren't chosen are now free to be explored. The top-most path is closest to the party, so they choose it as their first travel point. The path sports two turns, and is yet another trail that would have been mired by toxic marshes had the party explored this during the day.

The Seekers arrive at a clearing marked by a few tombstones. As is the standard with this stratum, the grave markers are too faded by the abuse of time to be deciphered. As the party approaches a dead end tucked away in a corner, they are beset by a group of five enemies. Two Eerie Chokers occupy the front; two more occupy the rear line, and a Spriggan is accompanying the four for reasons the party honestly could not be bothered to take an interest in. Instead of coordinating a proper assault with her comrades, Gwenivere triggers the use of Tri-Magic, which obliterates every enemy barring the path. As the remnant traces of aether flow from her hand, she lets out a scoff. The dead end proves to be simply thus, so the party departs from here in order to choose another path.

The next route to take is the second in the sequence; it immediately leads to a dead end where nothing occurs. One path remains, and it is arguably the one that makes the party feel the most grateful for their decision to return here at night. Judging from the map Cyrus had drawn earlier, this path was almost entirely comprised of toxic marshes. This notion bears much credence, for even after the initial path is cleared, the party is met with a branching point – one is completely clear, but likely leads to a dead end, while the other would have also been mired by toxic marshes. The party chooses to traverse the clear path first, but it ends up being a longer route that loops around to lead to the same clearing as the toxic path.

As the party steps into this clearing, 9PM strikes. A door lies before them, but they elect to take a short break before continuing through it. Sitting beside Hayato, Cyrus asks, "Are you well, prince?"

"Yeah, I don't feel too bad up here." He points to the giant skull of what he presumes to be a dragon. "Do you really think dragons were part of the war up here, Cyrus?"

"Assuming they weren't used by the Despot or his enemies, these creatures could very well have been the original denizens of this place. That's not exactly a pleasant thought, considering there could be an undead dragon roaming around."

Hayato shudders at the thought. "You'll jinx us, Cyrus; don't bring up possibilities like that." Before he can admonish his comrade any further, Fae walks over to the two and offers each of them a cheddar biscuit. "Ah, thank you, Fae."

"Are you two OK?" She focuses her attention on Hayato upon asking this, going a step further to say, "You look a bit spooked, prince." He blushes at this, quickly stuffing his face in some effort to hide his embarrassment. Completely missing the point, Fae puts a finger to her chin as she says, "Huh, I guess you were just hungry." Cyrus snickers at the sight, but says nothing to fuel it any further. "Uncle, the FOE Radar was going off earlier, right?"

"Indeed. There is likely an FOE puzzle of some sort beyond this door." He frowns at this, directing his gaze at the door the party will soon step through. "That is honestly not to our benefit, since we may very well want the sunlight to make it easier to deal with the FOEs in there." He sighs, massaging his left temple as he says, "You haven't seen them yet, but there are FOEs up here that are just like the Luring Phantom we fought earlier. Their patrol routes…are difficult to weave through during the night."

The break ends shortly after this explanation is complete. The party proceeds through the door, and is met with more toxic marshes to notate and, worse still, a pile of bones that brings disgust to Gwenivere's expression. A loud groan of anguish sounds from her throat as she points to the bone pile closest to the party. "I detest Skeleswords." By following the lead of Cyrus' careful direction, as well as throwing in a bit of Fiona's dance-based improvisation, the party eludes a trio of Skeleswords in order to step through a door tucked away in the top-right corner of this room. In here is a treasure chest. "Ooh, I wonder what our reward could be."

Fiona rushes over to open the chest, pulling an intricate necklace from it. "I think this is Iorys' equivalent to the Fortune Necklace." She removes the necklace Fae is currently wearing in favor of having the child wear this one instead. "There we go, dear; now you'll have an even easier time landing your ailments." Fae giggles at this, fumbling around with her new necklace as she thanks Fiona. Departing from this place, the party returns to the large area housing the slumbering Skeleswords. The map is finished shortly after the hour strikes 11PM. As she stares at the map in Cyrus' hands, Fiona says, "I was expecting more." She can see a grin forming on Cyrus' face. "I know that look; what sort of dastardly setup have you thought of this time?"

"Now, now, Fiona. That would be telling." He chuckles maliciously after saying this, sending a shiver down her spine. "Now is the not the time to shudder, my dear; save that for when the proper time arrives."

"This side of you scares me sometimes."

"And at others?" Just as Fiona opens her mouth to make a reply, she notices that Fae is standing next to her. She quickly looks back to Cyrus and crosses her arms to form an 'X', suggesting that, whatever feelings she may experience during these other periods, she cannot possibly share them with the child present. Cyrus blushes at this. "Oh dear. You didn't strike me as the type, Fiona." He makes no effort to continue the conversation beyond that, and pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread to warp the party back to Iorys. The hour draws close to midnight, so Fae retires for the evening. Hayato and Fiona join her, but Cyrus and Gwenivere remain awake.

The duo currently stands in a forest clearing a short distance away from Jenetta's Inn. Looking to her husband, Gwenivere performs a curtsey. "You have my gratitude, darling; out of everyone in the party, I know you require the most rest after what happened today."

"I take it you wish to discuss the matter in private?" To his surprise, she shakes her head. "Oh?"

"Perhaps I should be more forward or intrusive, but I trust you; if there is something troubling you, I am fully aware that you know you can always speak with me. Even after I become Overlord, and inevitably become swamped with work, I will always make time for you." She crosses her arms, her expression becoming despondent. "The more I tell myself that you'll step forward with your problems, the more I feel that I should take Terri and Lissa's advice." Seeing the inquisitive look in his eye, she heaves a sigh, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Our beloved Terri has suggested in the past that I should take advantage of my position and start ordering you to be more direct with us when it comes to addressing your depression." She sighs again, her countenance shifting to show distress. "She does not yet understand just how much it bothers me – to know that, at any given moment, I could relapse and treat you as poorly as I did back then."

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit, Gwen."

"Sometimes I fear that you give me too much of it." Allowing her arms to fall back to her sides, she looks to him with a resolute expression. "In any case, I shall stand firm by my decision; I won't pry – I'll trust you to bring this up when you're ready. I called you out here for a different purpose." She blushes, repeatedly breaking eye contact as she starts to fidget in place. Cyrus awaits the continuation of her request in silence, patiently allowing her to sort out whatever emotions course through her at present. "I am in need of your counsel." A blank stare is his initial response. "Is that…not permissible, my love?"

"Why the fidgeting?"

"I am unaccustomed to showing such hesitation to you; the only people I typically allow to see this side of me are Annabelle, Reginald, and my mother." She points at him, a frown forming on her lips. "You and Overlord Ginger are the two most important people before whom I must maintain my image. As your liege and future Overlord, it is imperative that you see me at my peak; I shall not settle for being less than perfect in your eyes." Her blush returns as her finger goes limp. She lowers her hand shortly after, heaving another sigh. "Alas, tonight I address you – not as your liege, but as your wife; I am at a loss with my Skill focus, with only you and Master Annora to turn to. Since you are my teacher in this field, I felt it was only right that I prioritize asking you first." Her blush deepens as she begins to fidget again. "I was also looking for an excuse to spend time with you on my own for once."

"Perhaps we should have made a day of it. I admit to missing your company. Of course, we can always make up for the lost time down the line. For now, we'll focus on your current dilemma."

"Yes, thank you, Cyrus. You see, I've been practicing my spells as of late, but I recently noticed during our battle against Crow that my focus has been slipping. I wanted to perfect the Focus Chant, but then I started working towards Quick Chant." Cyrus chuckles at this, causing Gwenivere to puff out her cheek as a pout forms on her lips. "And what, pray tell, is so amusing about this?"

"All of us from Erdboden fall for this trap at some point, my love. You can't take every Skill in this world; you spread yourself too thin and end up being unable to excel in any category." He takes hold of her hand, gently holding it up between them as he stares into her eyes. "Just as you do back home, you must run your role here in this world so that it plays to your strengths."

"I was…considering the act of shifting my focus to a Skill known as Clever Strike." Cyrus nods to this, off-handedly noting the potential issues Gwenivere might run into when using this Skill. "It is as you say. As a Witch tied to the rules of this world, I can only make use of staves and firearms." Her expression suddenly becomes irate as she rests a hand on her hip. "Staves are mired by some sort of nonsensical melee range penalty, and the firearms of this world aren't custom-made to better facilitate the channeling of aether." She lets out a huff, crossing her arms as she says, "What utter rubbish." Cyrus snickers at this, to which Gwenivere responds by blushing and pointing at him. "Now you cease that snickering at once! The absurdity of this world and its rules are no laughing matter, darling! What sort of Overlord has to pick and choose when she could just have her cake and eat it too?"

"I understand your rage, love, but those are the rules, and we must abide by them."

"To the Seven Hells with that! I have half a mind to change them instead." She shakes her head, a loud exasperated sigh escaping her. "Am I wasting our time by trying to make this Skill work, Cyrus?"

"No, no, not at all. Clever Strike is plenty useful; it's just difficult to put into standard practice. I understand that you wish to use the most powerful option available, and for that, you'll have to take to the front lines." His expression suggests that he intends to admonish her adherence to such a dangerous strategy, but his eyes are gentle in contrast. "I'll protect you as best I can, but you've seen that I've been having trouble recently."

"That was against an FOE, Cyrus – and a much stronger version of one that already exists, mind you. The enemies of the 4th Stratum, barring the FOEs therein, won't be nearly as strong as the Luring Phantom." She smiles at him, crossing her arms again as she asks, "How do you suppose we set this up?"

"Clever Strike will always deal Bash Damage in some capacity; with an Elemental Oil or an Elemental Prayer, we can convert it into a composite Skill." Gwenivere opens her mouth to speak, but relents, instead opting to look at her husband expectantly. "As a composite Skill, it can then take advantage of Smokeblight, Dance Oracle, and Amplifier while still entertaining the boons of supplements for physical damage. From here, we need only pick the best options from each set."

Holding her chin in her hand, Gwenivere closes her eyes to take a moment to think on this matter. Before long, without opening her eyes, she says, "Amy has been working on drawing out the full potential of Overexertion; we could use that." She opens her eyes to gaze upon her husband again; as she does so, a memory returns. "A Bravant would work as a replacement for Amplifier; unless I miss my mark, I have yet to reach a level of proficiency where that Skill outpaces the tonic."

"There are two more boons to consider."

"Hm? I missed a couple? What could they be?"

"Head Bind and the Sleep Bonus."

She gives him a blank stare as she asks, "Darling, what in the Seven Hells is a Sleep Bonus? This is not a tabletop RPG." To her surprise, he doesn't snicker; his expression is straight-faced. "You're being serious, aren't you?"

He nods. "When you strike a slumbering enemy with a physical attack, you deal extra damage."

"Hold a moment. Are you implying that magic doesn't get this boon?" He shakes his head, which causes her eye to twitch with rage. "Blatherskite." She heaves another frustrated sigh. "Please continue."

"I believe this has something to do with how INT-Based damage is the only kind that can benefit from the damage bonus you receive from Head Bind." He can see that Gwenivere is motioning to admonish him for his word choice, so he preemptively intercepts her fury. "Not my terms, love." She relents, though her expression remains. "With Clever Strike dealing physical damage and being INT-Based, it should be able to receive the boons of both."

"I am normally not one to challenge your expertise on these matters, but this Head Bind boon you speak of…I don't think that exists here in Iorys." He raises an eyebrow to this. "When I strike enemies that are suffering from the effects of Head Bind, my regular spells do not deal increased damage; I have only been able to bolster my offense through Common Magic and Dance Oracle thus far." Cyrus' expression seems to go pale at this notion; "Are you alright?" He doesn't respond, instead sitting upon a tree stump as he holds his head in his hand. She walks over to him, crouching down to get a look at his face. "Cyrus, speak to me."

"Everything I know is a lie. I suppose next you're going to tell me that the defensive effects of Mana Guard and Magic Shield don't stack."

"…They don't." He immediately lets out a cry of anguish. "Lissa and I learned that the hard way."

"This is bullshit; you cannot just change rules like this."

"I wonder what else has changed…"

"At the very least, the Sleep Bonus hasn't; I've confirmed that one personally on several occasions." His expression becomes irate, and he takes to biting the nail of his thumb. Rising to his feet, his voice practically drips with venom as he says, "I need to review my notes; apparently, I need a separate section to note the differences here in Iorys."

"Don't you want your reward, first?" As expected, the expression he wears as he turns to face her puts his confusion on display. "Of course, you're never expecting a reward, but I want you to know that I appreciate the time you dedicate to me." She pats her thigh twice, smiling at him as she follows, "We'll have to ask Jenetta for a private room tonight." His confusion has given way to pained confliction. "Is something wrong?"

"I…might have to pass on thigh time, Gwen."

Her eyes widen at the notion. "Excuse me? Cyrus, are you listening to yourself? Not once in our history together have you ever passed up a chance for thigh time. Need I remind you of that evening concerning the release of that _Crystal Maiden_ volume? That manga volume was in full color and you were waiting on its release for months. That release date was during a scorching summer, as well; Terri and Amy told me that you nearly passed out on several occasions while you waited in line. Despite that, you still chose thigh time over your chance to read it that evening without a semblance of hesitation."

He gives a content sigh as a nostalgic smile traces upon his lips. "Ah, that was such a fun evening; that volume was worth the wait, too." He then shakes his head, remembering the pressing matter at hand. "Alas, I can't do this, Gwen; these mechanical changes plague my thoughts – I wouldn't be able to properly enjoy our time together as I am now."

She rests her head in her hand, her expression somewhere between shock and amazement. "I can't believe this. Well…bollocks, there goes my evening for the next hour or two." She looks to him as she says, "Nothing for it, I suppose; I'll assist you in your research – I stand to gain from this knowledge anyway." She grins at him, chuckling to herself as she follows, "That aside, someone has to be there to make sure you don't destroy something in a fit of rage."

"That was one time, darling, and it was during a session of C&W."

"I dare say you have the capacity even now, darling."

When morning comes, the two are found by Clarisse; she steps through the door leading to the library wing of the inn. Within, Cyrus sits at the end of a table with Gwenivere at his side. The Witch is asleep, resting her head on his shoulder as she continues her peaceful slumber. Cyrus, however, is awake; though it is difficult to tell at a glance due to his reading glasses, there are visible bags under his eyes. His gaze is mostly empty, practically lifeless as they slowly shift to gaze upon the one stepping into the library. He says nothing as Clarisse steps up to him and sets a tray down in front of him. For breakfast, she offers a bowl of rice topped with steak, onions, and a unique blend of sauce he has never seen before.

Clarisse smiles sweetly at him, her eyes gentle. "Co, this is for you. I made this, but Stinger is the one who suggested it." Cyrus snaps his fingers to conjure a portal from which he pulls a pair of chopsticks. "Huh, you don't use spoons to eat rice?" He doesn't give her an answer, instead using his chopsticks to cut the steak into a small portion that can accompany the rice. He notes how simple the task is to perform, but offers little else before taking his first bite. Seeing him swallow the food, Clarisse hesitantly asks, "How was it?" He looks to her, a tear streaming from one of his tired eyes. "Co?"

"Clarisse. Marry me."

Though taken aback by this, Clarisse retains her composure, even with the blush reddening her cheeks. She takes a step back, resting a hand on her hip as she lets out a haughty laugh. "Love at first bite, eh? I guess it can't be helped; 'tis only natural that you'd come to see my charm."

He yawns. "To be fair, you had plenty of charm before this. You already had me with the tsundere act." She glares at him. "Oh, and the glare; I adore that gaze."

"Sometimes, I can't stand you." Taking another look at him, she can see that his complexion is pale. "Were you up all night?" He nods. "No wonder you look like Hell." It is at this moment Lissa steps in, prompting Clarisse to turn and face her. "Hey, Lissa; bad news: he wants to marry me. Worse news: he was up all night." Lissa shades her eyes, though Clarisse cannot tell what this act is in response to. She remains silent, unwilling to add fuel to this potential fire.

Lissa turns to Cyrus, casting her withering gaze upon him. "Love? Have you an explanation for yourself?" He slides his notebook over to her, saying nothing as he looks to the table. With an eyebrow raised, she takes the notebook into her grip as she reads the page opened to her. "Head Bind doesn't boost magic damage anymore?" She moves the notebook to the side so that she may look to her lover. "Are you serious?" He looks to her again, his tired eyes showing no sign of insincerity. She glances back at the notebook. "What else did you learn…"

"That's what you're worried about, Lissa? He asked for my hand in marriage."

"Didn't I already say I was fine with that?" Seeing that much of Cyrus' serving is still present, she takes his chopsticks and secures a bite for herself. "Yeah, I can see why, Reese." She looks to her friend with a wide smile on her face. "You can marry me too, while you're at it."

"You're impossible." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "You're not going into the Labyrinth today, are you? You're in no shape to do so."

"I'll be fine after finishing this meal; I thank you in advance, love."

"L-Love? I haven't accepted that proposal, Co!"

It is at this moment that Gwenivere awakens from her slumber. It is not the noise, but rather the enticing smell of breakfast that has jump-started her senses. In between Cyrus' efforts to feed himself, she takes his chopsticks and takes a few bites of her own. Her eyes light up in an instant as she is filled with a surge of energy. "Delicious." Pointing the chopsticks at Cyrus, she says, "You should add the chef responsible for this dish to our harem. Immediately."

"Come on, BB; not you, too."

"Oh, so it was you, Clarisse?" She brings her hands together, smiling warmly as she says, "Most fortuitous; so much the better that the chef is an established friend."

"You really have no reservations, BB; it's admirable, in a way."

When breakfast is over, the Chain Squad departs from the inn to make way for the 4th Stratum. Having not seen the Stratum until now, Cyrus' four comrades are given a moment to take in the spectacle of this crystalline cavern. Fae is unable to control her excitement, and has taken to dancing around the area. "It's so pretty up here!" Pointing to a large cluster of purple ore, she looks to Cyrus as she asks, "Uncle, you can turn ore like this into pretty jewelry, right?!" He nods, causing a smile to form on her face. "When I get older, would you make me some earrings?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I could make you a bracelet if you can't wait." Her expression brightens at this, though Gwenivere silently admonishes him for encouraging such behavior with a slap to the shoulder. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he asks, "Come now, my sweet; is it only acceptable when I spoil you? Does our little angel not deserve this in turn?" She crosses her arms and lets out a huff before walking away, not deigning to provide a proper response.

The party heads north, unaware that what awaits is a dead end. Just before arriving at this dead end, a pair of large leeches drops from the ceiling, bringing the party pause. Fae suffers a flashback, reminding her of the poisonous leeches from the Tutelary Forest – specifically how they nearly killed Cyrus with their venomous spit. She grabs holds of a Dark Bomb and beans one of the leeches in the face as she shouts, "To the darkness with you! Hiya!" Only one of the Cave Leeches is blinded by this effort, and that was primarily due to being struck directly in the face by Fae's bomb. Through a concentrated effort of fire attacks, the pair is slain. Letting out a sigh of relief, Fae says, "That was easy."

Cyrus steps forward, his attention drawn by a crystal that seems to shine more brightly than what has been seen thus far. He takes a moment to study the hexagonal cut before him, going so far as to procure some implements from the bag on his back. "It would appear that some pieces have chipped off, but the beauty of this gem is far from tarnished." He takes the shard into his hand, and suddenly feels a surge of aether course through him. He takes a step back, somewhat overwhelmed. Fiona steps over and offers him support, fearing that he might fall backwards. "Whoa."

"Are you alright?"

"I do believe this is the shard of a dragon." He turns it in his grip, admiring the luster. "This is a scale to be precise; I can only assume the dragon from which this fell has a mineral-rich diet of some kind."

Fae's eyes light up at this. "You think there's a dragon up here?!"

"It's certainly possible." He secures the Draconic Shard with his Guild's belongings before saying, "Let us continue; we'll hold on to any additional shards we find. I don't think I want to sell these just yet." He leads his party to the path west of the Geomagnetic Pole, soon arriving at a path blocked off by an incredibly large crystal that pulsates with energy. Whatever source of power flows through this crystal causes it to periodically shift from a deep shade of purple to an aetherial shade of blue. Cyrus lets out a whistle at the sight. "Damn, that is a fine chunk of ore."

Fae attempts to squeeze through the gap formed between the crystal and the wall, but is unable to do so. She knocks her knuckles against the ore a few times before taking a step back with a frown on her face. "We can't break this. What do we do?"

Resting a hand against the crystal, Cyrus quickly realizes that the child is right. "Yeah, we can't do anything about this as we are now." He motions for the others to follow him back to the Geomagnetic Pole. "We'll have to head back for the moment."


	30. Shining Residence

Author's Notes: _It is around this point in the adventure where the game starts to seriously punish you for keeping your party under-leveled and under geared. If you don't have a plan, expect much resistance._

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Shining Residence**

When the party arrives at the Seven Hills Plaza, they find Syrik waiting for them. A smile is on his face as he steps over to greet them. "You guys are back pretty early." He takes a moment to study their faces, noting the puzzled expression Cyrus currently wears. "Come on, you can share with your ol' buddy Syrik." Cyrus chuckles at this before producing the Draconic Shard. "Ooh, this looks like a shard of Dragon Crystal. It's a scale from the legendary Crystal Dragon…or so the stories say. Whatever it is, it's rare."

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere says, "We've barely begun our exploration and yet we already know the identity of the Stratum Boss. Pray tell, Syrik; what sort of equipment could you forge with this shard?"

"Oh, bad news, Lady Gwenivere – this shard is too fragile for that." She adopts a surprised countenance at this. "Sorry to say, but this would just shatter. But, I'd be willing to take this off your hands for a good price! You see, foreign traders and rich nobles are willing to pay big money for them."

Hayato scoffs at this. "But of course. How typical. If we can't find a use for this shard and happen to find more, we'll gladly sell them to you." Looking to Cyrus, he follows, "I do suggest we keep hold of it for now, though; the shard might become useful down the line." He holds his chin in his hand, musing to himself. "Perhaps we can use them to deal with that giant crystal blocking the way."

His attention caught, Syrik asks, "Did you mention a giant crystal?" Hayato nods. "Gimme one sec, prince; I'll be right back!" He then runs off without giving the party a chance to reply. The wait is short, and soon Syrik returns with a large pickaxe in tow. He hands this off to Cyrus, who rests the mining tool on his shoulder. "I made this a while back to help miners, but it's too weighty for most folks to lug around. It packs a real whallop, so I'm sure it'll break up those crystals that're in your way." He smirks. "And if you happen to find even shinier crystals further in, you know who to sell them to." He waves as he motions to depart, bidding the Seekers farewell.

The group returns to the 16th floor, pickaxe in tow. As they emerge from the narrow corridor that funnels into the expanse harboring the Geomagnetic Pole, they spot a guard with a troubled look on his face. He turns to take notice of the Seekers, his attention caught by their echoing footsteps. "Ah, the Seekers Guild. Hello."

Fae steps forward, making no effort to dance around what she perceives as a problem. "You look sad, Mr. Guard; what's wrong?"

He gives an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck at the thought of being seen through by a child. "It's about the Dragon Crystals; they've become quite popular ever since Captain Logan and his Guild brought back some samples. As a result, a lot of inexperienced explorers and even regular townsfolk are making their way here to try and strike it rich."

Cyrus frowns at this. "Lissa is going to tear into that man for this one." The guard laughs at this, expressing his agreement with Cyrus' claim. "Are you here to warn people as they enter the Stratum?"

The guard nods to this. "I'm sure your Guild will be fine, but if you encounter those in need of assistance, I ask that you do what you can." He then performs a slight bow before bidding the party farewell.

The group returns to the giant crystal blocking their path, and is surprised to find Evelyn and her Guild standing here. They lack a suitable pickaxe, much like the Seekers did before. Stacy turns to face the party, a gentle smile on her face as she extends a greeting. "We meet again, Seekers; glad to see you're in good health." She glances at Evelyn for but a moment before saying, "A certain someone was worried sick about your leader."

Just as Cyrus looks to Evelyn and motions to make an apology, the Blade Mistress quickly shoots him down by saying, "That 'certain someone' wasn't me! I know how strong you are…" She blushes, pushing her fingers together. "Anyway, we were just thinking of a way to get past this crystal." Taking notice of the pickaxe in Cyrus' hand, she points to it and asks, "Where did you get that?"

"Syrik gave this to us; it's…not terribly suitable for standard ore farming, but it will undoubtedly handle the task of destroying this crystal." To demonstrate, he takes two swings with the axe, shattering the crystal into fist-sized shards. Everyone's eyes go wide at the result. "Whoa. OK, maybe it's too effective at destroying things."

Melissa pats him on the shoulder, giving a thumbs-up once he looks to her. A smile is on her face as she says, "You're pretty strong for an Earthlain; I'm surprised you could swing that thing with just one arm." She grabs hold of the pickaxe and quickly learns that it's as heavy as it looks. She hoists the tool and rests it on her shoulder. "Damn, this is heavy. You think Syrik would give us one of these?"

"For a price. He might give you a discount if you tell him we sent you." Melissa giggles at this, commenting that such a play would be worth a shot. She returns the pickaxe to Cyrus and departs from the Labyrinth with her Guild. The party is free to explore, soon choosing the left path of the fork ahead. They are led to the southern edge of the floor, where they are beset by a new Enemy Set. At the fore are two pink bats; at the back is a Cave Leech. Drawing his blade, Cyrus triggers a Union Skill between himself and Hayato. "Fiona, trigger Double Attack on the other bat and prep Chain Shock." Glancing back, he follows, "Fae, we're going to need the Numbing Smoke."

By the time Fae can throw her debilitative smoke bomb, only the Cave Leech remains. The bomb promptly explodes, taking an immediate effect as the Cave Leech is paralyzed. The creature is left helpless before the party as they work to dispatch it. Sheathing her rapier, Fiona looks to Cyrus and asks, "What was the purpose of the Union Skills?"

"I figured we'd snipe those bats before they could act, but that didn't come to pass. They were…a lot slower than I was anticipating." He opens the Monstrous Codex, beckoning his comrades closer. Directing their attention at the entry for the bat, he reveals, "These are Hypno Bats, and I suspect the Skill they use to inflict Sleep is quite swift." The party returns to their starting point at this loop to procure another Draconic Shard from a dead end. After shattering another crystal barring the way, they are ambushed by a trio of enemies.

Fiona is tackled to the ground by some sort of sentient crystalline being that is yellow in color. It is flanked at either side by a Hypno Bat, one of which takes to pestering Fae while the other emits hypnotic waves in an effort to put the party to sleep. It fails. For some reason, the yellow crystalline creature is dancing; the party can't tell if it's happy to have successfully landed an attack or if this is just a part of its natural behavior. Picking herself up, Fiona draws her rapier and takes a step back. "Damn, look at the little guy go. You'd think it's hearing some sort of song that we can't."

She and Cyrus work together to dispatch one of the Hypno Bats, though their efforts prove to not be enough; Gwenivere steps in and summons a bolt of lightning, felling the creature. Fae tosses a bomb to trigger the effects of paralysis; though her efforts are successful and brings pause to the yellow creature known as a Volt Cryst, it does not fully impede the remaining Hypno Bat, which slams its head into Cyrus' throat. The man gasps for air as he falls to the ground. Fae rushes over to resuscitate him, leaving the task of slaying the Hypno Bat to Gwenivere. "Are you OK?"

He sits himself up, coughing a few times as he massages his throat. "That was more than a little stupid." With the Volt Cryst still unable to move, the party takes advantage of their opportunity to slay it. Their reward consists of two new items. One is a Warped Voltstone, the other appears to be the core of the creature. "This core is producing natural sugars." He looks to the Monstrous Codex to find that, "Huh, paralysis is the cause for this." He chuckles, securing the items with their belongings as he pats Fae on the head. "That was a good call, little one." She giggles at the praise before treating the rest of the party's wounds.

To the south is a pair of large crystals, but shattering them reveals nothing. Hayato crosses his arms at this revelation. "That's strange. Is there really nothing here?"

Gwenivere says, "I'm not detecting any traces of aether, either. I believe this area might indeed be as empty as it appears." As she and her comrades make their way north, she calls for a halt as the rest of them pass by a wall. Pointing to this wall, she says, "This is a door, everyone; we should see what lies beyond." Upon closer inspection, the crystalline wall is indeed revealed to be a door. Cyrus scratches his head at the notion. "Is it uncommon for the doors of a Stratum to blend in with the environment?"

"Kind of? The Labyrinths of Etria, Armoroad, and Tharsis were quite blatant with their doors. The same can be said for the Tutelary Forest and Fetid Necropolis."

"Hm, I wonder what the 5th Stratum will bring." The door slides apart, granting the party access to the room beyond. Within is a small clearing covered in shining crystals. Looking up to the ceiling, she directs her allies' attention to a large crystal jutting from above. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this ore is made entirely of Dragon Crystal."

Cyrus steps forward and attempts to remove the crystal, but is unable to do so. "Hm, that's a shame. We might have to come back here with Amy or Clarisse in tow." He marks the location of this crystal on the map before departing with his comrades. As they proceed through the winding halls of this crystal cavern, the sounds of their footsteps and the occasional flutter of wings from Hypno Bats just beyond fill out the silence. They arrive at a crossroads, though one path is blocked by a giant crystal. Upon destroying the crystal, he can see a tall patch of Forest Wheat in the distance. He shades his eyes at this. "Peculiar."

Fae tilts her head at the sight, sharing in her comrade's surprise. "I didn't think wheat could grow up here."

Regardless of the notion, the party does not reap any stalks, instead proceeding forward. A Chop Point lies just beyond the left path of the next fork, which Cyrus notes down for later. The party slows its advance as it becomes increasingly clearer that they are drawing close to the den of an FOE. Pointing ahead, Hayato brings everyone's attention to a large turtle sporting a long tail that is curiously reminiscent of an anchor. Before entering this creature's territory, the party elects to unlock the shortcut that leads back to the Geomagnetic Pole.

The turtle proves to be non-aggressive, allowing the party to proceed through its domain without fear. One thing that everyone takes note of is how the FOE will continue to move even while they take time to destroy the crystal barring the way. This knowledge is tucked away as another new Enemy Set approaches. Two Hypno Bats flank a bipedal blue and yellow lizard garbed in the gear of a swordsman. Everyone in the party stares at the creature before performing a double-take. A silver buckler shield is held in its left hand, a sword with a curved edge in its right. Its black and red eyes shimmer in the light of the surrounding crystals as it leads its comrades into battle.

Pulling a Numbing Bomb from her pack, Fae triggers the use of Guard Order between her and Hayato. The prince, in recognition of this, summons a card to cast the Aegis Prayer. Cyrus charges in to direct the enemies' attention; he delivers a Deft Thrust to the lizard swordsman, though this is intercepted by the creature's shield. The creature motions into a thrust of its own, piercing its blade through Cyrus' chest. A burst of air is fired from the tip, catching Fae off guard as she is pushed to the ground. The lizard removes its blade and hops back into its formation.

Cyrus remains standing, much to the surprise of his opponent, but this does not last as one of the Hypno Bats pushes through its paralysis to put him to sleep with a hypnotic wave. Even asleep, Cyrus' grip on his sword does not falter, and he is only brought to one knee as his eyes grow too heavy to keep open. Fiona suffers a similar fate as the other bat pushes through its paralysis to put her to sleep just before Gwenivere could cast a bolt of lightning. The lizard warrior, known as a Sword Saurian, cuts her down with one additional slash.

Pulling a gray bomb from her bag, Fae can see the Saurian is planning on cutting her down next. "No! Stay away!" It motions to charge, but is caught completely off guard as Fae's bomb explodes and turns its body to stone. Gwenivere and Hayato are shocked to see this, but make no effort to comment. Fiona is revived just as Cyrus awakens. "Aunt Gwen, you have an Elemental Prayer, right? Hit 'em!" Gwenivere charges in, her staff charged with blazing aether. With but a single swing, the Sword Saurian's petrified form is shattered into unrecognizable pieces. Fae sighs in relief at this before working to treat everyone's injuries.

As the girl cleans the open wound in his chest, Cyrus says, "Impressive work, Fae; I didn't think Smokestone was that far along, yet."

"We got lucky the creature was weak to it. Um…I don't know how to handle this yet; the most I can do is stop the bleeding…" Tears begin to well up in her eyes, but they cease when she sees purple threads form to seemingly heal Cyrus' wound. "What just happened? That wasn't me…right?"

Cyrus chuckles at the notion. "To a degree, that was you, Fae. I just had Lord Wrath take care of the rest." He ruffles her hair, smiling gently as he says, "I'm alright now, thanks to you. You made the right call in using Guard Order when you did."

She giggles, blushing at the praise. "Happy to help!"

He rises to his feet, resting a hand in his pocket as he says, "Those Sword Saurians are going to be quite dangerous; we're not as fast as we probably should be, and the only way to get the drop on anything up here is to use Superspeed."

Looking up to him, Fae asks, "Should be take a day to train more?"

"I'm honestly not sure. We'll have to devise a plan as we go along."

As the party proceeds through the den of another turtle, they happen upon a hole in the floor. Considering it is too dark to see within, and that the pit would be a tight squeeze for the adults in the party, the Seekers choose to mark this location and depart from the area. They draw near the roaming space of the next FOE, but first encounter the Freeblade Guild. Franklin and Fae rush over to each other, apparently needing to catch up on each other's news. Conrad steps forward with Oriana at his side.

The latter is the first to speak. "It is good to see you all again; we're here to mine for Dragon Crystals." She glances back to see Abel punching more ore deposits with his fists, shouting loudly with each strike. "Sometimes I get the feeling that we're here just because Abel likes punching rocks." She takes a moment to look about the group. "Did you all recently suffer a bad encounter?" They work to recount the previous battle, to which Oriana can only give a solemn nod. "Conrad and I have been struggling to deal with those Sword Saurians as well."

Following up on his comrade's thread, Conrad says, "We can't really afford to use Bunkers against them, considering their blades can generate piercing winds that strike our comrades regardless." Looking at Cyrus, he realizes the man is wearing no armor. "Running Lightweight still?"

Cyrus chuckles. "I am, yes, but I've started to run into trouble. One clean hit is all the enemy needs up here, and there's nothing I can do to draw piercing strikes towards myself. We're going to work on a plan, but I imagine things are going to be difficult for awhile yet. What will your Guild do next, Conrad?"

"We were planning on heading back, actually. This place is starting to take a toll on us, especially Jilian." It is at this moment that the party takes notice of Jilian, who is currently looking exhausted and haggard. Gwenivere currently sits at her side, offering to feed her a small cut of a pancake. Though Jilian is quite embarrassed at the notion, as evident by the blush on her face, she allows Gwenivere to engage in this action, biting down on the fork. Conrad chuckles at this, quickly looking away as Jilian's angered and flustered expression is directed at him. "She definitely didn't catch me staring."

Oriana pats his shoulder. "Don't worry, leader; I'll do my best to keep her from destroying you." She offers a leather bag to Fiona, who accepts it, but dons a confused look as she motions to ask for a reason. "We brought these to snack on while mining, but we won't need them now. It would be better for you all to make use of them." The Seekers offer gratitude for the bag of berries, leaving the members of Freeblade to warp out of the Labyrinth. Their business here concluded, the party elects to continue forward into the den of the next FOE.

This turtle dwells within a cavern sealed off by crystals. Though it does not understand why the Seekers are creating new paths for it to explore, it makes no motion to impede their efforts. As they depart from its domain, it takes a moment to watch them, its head tilting in an inquisitive manner as Fae turns around to wave in farewell. A fishing spot lies up ahead, but Cyrus has not brought any equipment to handle the task. The party believes itself to be in a perilous predicament when they realize there is not enough time to break the crystal up ahead before the turtle draws near, but they soon grow to understand that the turtle does not make turns until it happens upon a wall. They share a collective sigh at their own paranoia, and proceed onward.

The staircase to the next floor lies just beyond the final corridor; the party reaches it as the hour strikes 6PM. After marking the location of the next Chop Point, they proceed towards the entry-point of the final shortcut. Turning a corner, they hear a man shouting about how he's struck gold. These cries of joy immediately transform into screams of terror. The party rushes on ahead to find a guardsman fending off monsters with only a pickaxe.

Two Sword Saurians lead the charge, and are backed up by a Hypno Bat lurking in the rear line. Knowing that they can barely handle one of the Saurians without suffering serious injuries, the party takes a defensive stance. Cyrus takes his place at the fore while Fiona takes a moment to concentrate using Chain Plus. Fae triggers the use of Guard Order between her and Cyrus, and preps a Numbing Bomb; the prince prepares to use the Aegis Prayer in turn. Thanks to their efforts, the party is capable of prepping in peace, though Fiona is put to sleep in the process. Much to her own surprise, Fae's Numbing Bomb successfully manages to paralyze both Saurians.

This paralysis doesn't deter them both, for one of the Saurians pushes through its ailment to cut down Fiona just before Fae can rush over to wake her sleeping comrade. Infuriated, Gwenivere abandons the use of Chain Blast in favor of just casting Tri-Magic instead. The Hypno Bat is immediately vanquished, but the Saurians yet stand. Hayato addresses this problem by dispelling his active Bolt Prayer in order to trigger an electric explosion that kills both lizards before they can do any additional damage.

Cyrus takes Fiona into his arm, noting that her injury isn't serious. She awakens, looking to him with tired eyes. "What just happened?"

"The bat put you to sleep and a Saurian cut you down before Fae could wake you up." He brings her closer to him, letting out a sigh of relief. "We have to switch things up; I'm not good enough to keep you all safe yet."

He helps Fiona to her feet as the guard approaches to thank the party for its assistance. "I can't thank you all enough."

Hayato wipes the sweat from his forehead as he asks, "What are you doing here on your own?"

"I'm in a tight spot financially, you see…so I came here on my day off to mine some Dragon Crystals." He takes out a piece of ore, one that is distinct from the Dragon Crystal he claims to be searching for; holding it out to the party, he says, "This is nothing compared to my life, and you almost lost one of your own just to save me." The party accepts the gem, and sees the guard off as he takes his leave. The party unlocks the shortcut and does the same after Fae treats the rest of Fiona's injuries.

The rest of the party makes way for Jenetta's Inn while Cyrus turns in the Guild's recently completed map, save for Fiona, who insisted on accompanying the leader. Though he would prefer she rest at the inn after what happened to her, he makes no effort to argue. The two step into the Council Hall to find Prince Ramus looking out a window. A contemplative look is upon his countenance, suggesting that this might be a bad time. As if to curb this notion before it can really sink, Ramus turns to address the duo with his usual smile.

"Hello again; how goes the exploration?" As he asks this, he takes note of the sad look in Cyrus' eyes. "Something is troubling you. Is the 4th Stratum proving to be arduous?"

Cyrus sighs at this. "For lack of a better term, it is as you say, Prince Ramus. One creature, the Sword Saurian, is an agile sword user that boasts a kit capable of capitalizing on the use of bunkers. Worse still, its agility grants it much in the way of handling Fencers like me."

Adding to this, Fiona says, "Those creatures are excellent team players, and have far more experience fighting in cramped halls; Cyrus has a difficult time managing his evasion efforts. What's more, the Sword Saurian is immune to Blind, and has an attack that pierces through its target to strike the rear lines." She looks to her comrade with a sympathetic look in her gaze. "There is really only so much you can do to combat something like that. I'd dare call it a hard counter."

"It's times like this when I wish my sister were still here; her counsel would be helpful indeed."

Adopting an inquisitive look, Ramus asks, "You have a sister, Cyrus?"

"Yes…though it would be more appropriate to refer to her in the past tense. I am the youngest of three children, but I am the only one who still lives; I lost my brother and sister, as well as our parents, when I was much younger."

Ramus dons a pained expression upon hearing this. "That is most unfortunate…so you too have lost precious family." The duo's attention is caught by this. "I had a twin sister; much like your case, Cyrus, she died when I was young. I don't remember much behind the circumstances, but I grieve to this day."

"Carrying on the responsibilities as the sole Earthlain Prince must be difficult for you. Our predicaments aren't the same, but I can say that I've struggled with trying to measure up to the collective worth of my own family."

"Collective worth? I am afraid I do not understand."

"My mother was a hero who saved the realm before settling down with my father. In turn, my father was a world-renowned doctor. Losing the two of them was already a huge blow to the world, but my brother and sister were far more promising than I was."

"I see. The expectations you must have faced…"

"You needn't say more, Prince; your understanding speaks volumes. For what my opinion might be worth, I consider you a commendable prince." He hands Ramus the map of the 16th floor, smiling softly as he says, "You should walk forward knowing that there are people who believe in you. It took me far too long to learn that."

Crossing her arms, Fiona says, "The earlier you take such a lesson to heart, the sooner the burden lifts from your shoulders."

Ramus' smile returns as he nods to the duo. "Someday, I'd like to hear the reason behind what drives the Seekers to explore the Labyrinth. Until then, I thank you for hearing me out. Please, be careful out there."

As the duo departs from the Council Hal, a sigh escapes Cyrus. "I'm at a loss, Fiona; the last time the Seekers faced such arduous encounters was back in the Claret Hollows of Etria."

"You have a lot on your plate, to be true."

"I was largely useless out there today. A setup change may be required, but I'd prefer if the majority of the Chain Squad get some time in the Labyrinth."

"I didn't realize just how much the rest of us relied on you. When you fall, I realize that I can't protect the others the way that I used to." She dons a pained expression at the notion, looking away from him. "To my own shame, I grow fearful, fearful of the thought that I'll lose all of you the way I lost my former Guild." She looks to him again, tears welling up in her eyes. "You all mean so much to me; I couldn't bear that loss a second time."

Taking hold of her hand, he starts to lead Fiona onward as he makes way for the Twilight Tavern. He says nothing in response to her words, but in turn, Fiona makes no effort to break free of his grip. Instead, she matches his pace, walking at his side as they step into Mirina's establishment. She chuckles upon seeing the two. "I guess you chose to confess after all. I'm happy for you both." Fiona tilts her head at the statement, confusion forming her countenance. "You two are holding hands; isn't that what couples usually do?"

She glances down to see that the two are still connected in this manner. "Oh, so we are." Pointing at Cyrus with her free hand, she looks to Mirina as she follows, "You have the wrong idea though. I didn't confess, and we're not dating."

"Matron, could we get a table for two? I think I need a drink."

"Certainly." After directing the pair to a small table located near a side window, she looks to Cyrus and asks, "Are you sure you want a drink instead of a meal? Valerie and Amy told me about your condition, and I wouldn't want to see you suffer a relapse."

"Just one drink, Matron; that will be my limit. Fiona is here, so you can trust her to keep me in line." Mirina leaves it at that and departs from the table. When she returns, it is with a shot glass filled with a golden substance known as "Amber Containment". Cyrus rotates the glass in his grip, staring into the solution before downing the shot. He sighs as he sets the glass back down onto the table. "Thank you. I needed that."

"Did something happen?"

Fiona heaves a sigh in turn, looking to Mirina as she replies, "The 16th floor hit us with an enemy that is more or less tailored to countering our setup. They had all the necessary tools to keep Cyrus from doing his job as our Evasion Tank, and even had contingency plans in play to make sure they could still harm the rest of us even if he couldn't be touched."

"Conrad's Guild came in talking about a similar problem. Perhaps I should start warning customers about these Sword Saurians. You're not planning on diving back into the Labyrinth, are you?"

Cyrus nods to this. "We have to gather new materials from the Chop Points; Syrik could potentially craft a gear upgrade, but perhaps even more important than that is the quest we have to fulfill to one of your patrons."

Fiona says, "We have no intention of exploring the 17th floor tonight; not after what happened to us."

Mirina sighs in relief at this. "That's good to hear. Before you go, another quest came in; it's tied to the 16th floor so you might be able to handle it while you're gathering. It's from an explorer who recently made it to the 4th Stratum. While running away from a turtle monster on the 16th floor, they dropped their lucky charm." Cyrus and Fiona stare at her with blank expressions. "W- What's wrong?"

Cyrus asks, "This charm fell into a dark hole, didn't it?"

"The client isn't entirely sure, actually, but that was their first guess." She watches as the duo rises from their seats; Cyrus hands her the fee for his drink, which she accepts. "I don't know what's going on, but please be careful out there."

With Lissa, Fiona, Gwenivere, and Diana in tow, Cyrus makes way for the 16th floor. Diana looks around the crystalline cavern, marveling at the sight of the crystals shimmering brilliantly in the night light. As Gwenivere casts a veil of Invisibility around her comrades, Cyrus looks to Diana as he says, "Be on your guard, mom; the creatures of this Stratum are ruthless." The party motions to gather from the Chop Point near the staircase that leads to the 17th floor. As if to prove his point, a trio of enemies ambushes the party shortly after their gathering is complete. Rather than face them in combat proper, Cyrus orders a Full Retreat. The party has returned to their entry-point, with their leader stepping over to Lissa so that he may address her injuries. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just a gash." He kneels beside her to address the wound, first by cleaning it. His actions bring with them a stinging sensation, and though used to such treatment, Lissa can't help but wince. When he wraps her arm in bandages, she gives it a few test motions, noting that the pain is mostly gone. "Thanks, Cyrus." As he helps her to her feet, she notes the sad look in his eye. "What's the matter?"

"Just…a little on edge. I am not a fan of those Sword Saurians." He sighs. "Let's review our haul to make sure nothing was damaged."

A trio of shimmering bark is the first portion of the haul to be checked. The party has no way of knowing how old these tree bark samples may be, but they appear to have merged with the surrounding ore. Diana notes that, in spite of this, the samples still feel like ordinary wood. She then holds up a bamboo shoot encased in crystal. "You know, this outer shell could be used for metalwork." She gives the sample a second glance, soon saying, "Son, you might be able to fashion a crystal weapon out of this, though I doubt this material would yield anything as strong as what you made for Viola."

Looking to him, Fiona asks, "You made a crystal weapon? And it's combat viable?" He nods to her, clarifying that he has made one such weapon. "So, um…can I get a hook up? I'd certainly like to have a crystal rapier…if that's not too much trouble." She blushes, averting her eyes.

Cyrus' once saddened expression is replaced with a cheerful smile as he lets out a chuckle. "Of course, Fiona, though it might not be ready in time for your birthday. Unless we find something in this Stratum that is suitable for crafting, I wouldn't feel comfortable gifting you a weapon that wasn't forged using Erdboden materials."

"Forever the perfectionist, aren't we?" She chuckles in turn before pulling out the last item the party gathered. In her hands is a pillar-like tree with a clear, crystalline root. "The clarity on this is pretty impressive. Do you suppose it improves with age?"

Tilting his head at the sight, Cyrus says, "We'd need to study the environment more thoroughly."

Moving on ahead of her comrades, Gwenivere says, "Before we all decide to become Botanists, we should make way for the other Chop Point, first. We still require two more units of Shining Bark." She crosses her arms as she says, "I should like to procure more so that we may have some personal units to sell to Syrik." Much to her chagrin, the next Chop Point only yields two units of Shining Bark. She makes no further comment, simply sighing as she helps her comrades store these units with the rest of the haul.

The next destination on their list is the dark hole the Chain Squad marked earlier. They reach this location a short time after the clock strikes 9PM. The evening shine of the surrounding ore does nothing to ease the severity of the pitch black pit before them. Cyrus rolls his shoulder, securing his katana to his arm as he says, "I'll take a look." A hand is then placed on his shoulder; he looks back to see Gwenivere is his addressor. "Is something wrong, Milady?"

"Allow me to handle this." Though he wishes to question her insistence, he stands aside regardless. She makes her descent, finding herself in a cavern that doesn't seem to have been naturally formed. What's more, several jagged crystals jut from the sides. ' _Coming down here without some form of night vision would be most unwise._ ' A quick search yields what she came for – a small charm with a gem embedded within. She takes this charm with her as she departs. Handing this charm over to Cyrus, she says, "That hole was formed by moles; I suspect they are on their way to this location, so it would be best if we made ourselves scarce."

To that end, the party warps out of the Labyrinth, returning to the Twilight Tavern. The fashionable architect's expression is beaming when he takes notice of the bags slung over the shoulders of the party. He steps over to greet them. "Greetings, Seekers; I was not expecting you all to return this quickly."

Gently setting the bag of Shining Bark onto the nearby table, Cyrus says, "We normally fulfill such requests within the same day they're made, but our efforts to assist the Guard Corps drained us more than we thought it would."

"You…consider this a slow delivery? Goodness. Should your lot ever tire of exploration, I'd always be willing to hire you at my company. T'would be a crime to ignore such drive." He takes a moment to study the five units of Shining Bark, his smile growing wide. "And such excellent quality…are you certain you are willing to part with all five of these?" Cyrus nods, a soft smile on his face. The man shakes his hand. "I truly cannot thank you enough. I've left your reward with Mirina; be sure to claim it." He then departs.

Mirina steps over, resting a hand on her hip as she says, "Looks like the job went well. I happened to catch a glimpse of the material you brought back; a house made out of such reflective material will certainly look impressive." She chuckles. "Considering how much you gave him, I may need to check out the place when it's done." She hands the party four bottles of All Mist. "So we have another problem. A Guild that just reached the 3rd Stratum reported a sighting of unusual monsters on the 11th floor."

Lissa face-palms at this, a groan escaping her before she says, "By the great tree, not again." Mirina marks three areas on the Guild's map, allowing Lissa to see where the Seekers must go. "It's a bit of a trek, too, but that's the least of our worries."

"I'm a little worried, but I trust you all; just be careful." Gwenivere nods before handing over the charm she found. "Ah, so this is it; thanks, I'll make sure it gets to the client." She looks it over for a moment, a thought coming to her. "You know, it's not often we take on missing item requests at this tavern." She looks to the party, a grin on her face as she asks, "How often do you lose things?"

Diana blushes, fidgeting in place as she says, "I…lose things in my own home; if Cyrus wasn't with me, I'd be unable to locate anything."

"Ah, yes, I definitely know others who share in that woe; Jenetta is pretty notorious in that regard." Seeing Gwenivere nod to this, she can only giggle. "She's enlisted your help in a search, Gwen?"

"Many searches, Matron. We needed to enlist Fae and little Friedrich as well. It was a disaster, Mirina. Actually, we should probably head back to the inn now; Jenetta was looking distressed earlier, but I couldn't inquire as to why."

"Right, then I won't keep you; let me know how things turn out."

The party departs from the tavern, but before returning to the inn, they stop to sell off their excess materials to Syrik. When they step into the inn, Jenetta can be seen sitting at a table. The woman wears a smile on her face as she reads a letter; the party has long since stopped wondering how she handles this task with her eyes closed. She looks to the others, her smile lingering as she says, "Welcome back, everyone~"

Stepping forward, Gwenivere asks, "Is everything alright, Jenetta? You didn't seem well earlier."

"Hm? Oh, that! Yeah, I was just worried about my older sister because she hadn't come back from the Lucent Hollows. I got a letter from Melissa telling me that she's safe and sound!"

Diana smiles at the notion. "That's good to hear. Where is she?"

"Judging from the letter, it sounds like she's having fun wandering the 4th Stratum. She's looking for materials and partying it up with everyone she meets. Yesterday, she apparently won a drinking contest with a bunch of burly green-and-blue guys, and got one of their scales as a prize." Everyone in the party goes pale at this, bringing Jenetta pause. "Wait a sec…scales? W- Was she drinking with Saurians?!"


	31. Dangerous Echoes

**Chapter 31: Dangerous Echoes**

The Chain Squad sets out for the 11th floor shortly after Cyrus switches out his gear. The group makes way for the first location cited as an area where explorers have been attacked. Curiously, it is dangerously close to the Geomagnetic Pole – barely a corner's turn away. Fae looks around, quietly warning her comrades of the murderous intent she senses nearby. "I think something's on its way…" To her surprise, a quartet of monsters leaps from the shadows, but none of them are enemies from the 4th Stratum. In addition to the Cracked Skull and Bone Archer, two Undead Mutts are present. "Wait, aren't the puppies supposed to be on the next floor?" She shakes her head, prepping a Panic Bomb.

Once the group is dispatched, the Seekers sheathe their weapons. Looking back to the others, Cyrus asks, "Any injuries?" The others shake their heads. "Good, let's move out." At the next location, the party is beset by a trio of Ghosts. "You lot aren't supposed to show up until much later." He draws his sword, easing into his combat stance. "I wouldn't be surprised if you're the ones responsible for the most casualties. Everyone, buff up while Fae throws a Panic Bomb! We can't risk possession recoil!"

Fae's bomb explodes into a pink smoke cloud, resulting in the immediate panic of two ghosts. With the Blaze Prayer in effect, Gwenivere motions to use Clever Strike to support Fiona. In turn, Fae preps a bomb to trigger Smokeblight. Before either plan can take effect, Cyrus triggers the use of Double Attack between Fiona and himself, allowing them to dispatch the one ghost that managed to avoid Fae's bomb before it can make use of its abilities. A single follow-up from Chain Flame is enough to dispatch the first ghost, but Chain Burst does not succeed in felling the second. Gwenivere addresses this with a swing of her staff, which yields a satisfying noise of impact as her opponent fades from existence.

"Commendable work, my friends. One spot yet remains." As the hour strikes 10PM, the party reaches the top-center of the floor, where the two doors await. Here, directly in the room's center, is the final location reported to be an attacking ground. Though there is nothing immediately present, a murderous intent soon arrives, bringing the party's attention to the shadow of a hollowed out tree. A Grand Spriggan emerges from behind this tree, its footsteps loud and heavy. "Our final foe." To her chagrin, this Spriggan manages to sneak in some damage before being dispatched; of her allies, Gwenivere is the most heavily damaged. "An undesirable outcome…wait." Two more Grand Spriggans appear, causing her to grit her teeth. "Damn it."

"Lord Hayato, use the Haste Prayer; Fae, same as before." He snaps his fingers, conjuring blades of frost that he fires at the two opponents. Fae triggers the use of Guard Order between Fiona and herself, hoping that this will offer some insurance for the intended plan. Fiona tosses a bottle of Soma into the air, which is then shattered by a dagger thrown by Cyrus. The potion's party-wide healing effect, coupled with Fae's use of Guard Order, is enough to keep Gwenivere from succumbing to the blind stampede of her foe, though she is lucky that one of the Spriggans missed entirely. The enemy pair is swiftly dealt with from here, granting the Seekers a clean victory. Sheathing his sword, Cyrus lets out a sigh of relief. "Excellent work, Seekers."

Stepping up to Gwenivere, Fae looks up and asks, "Are you OK?"

"Yes, your treatment towards the end of the battle patched up my wounds quite nicely." She looks to her husband as she says, "An excellent call in bolstering our Evasion, Cyrus."

"Such plans are much easier to devise when the enemy is susceptible to blind." Producing a spool of Ariadne Thread, he follows, "Let's turn in this quest and get some sleep." When they return to the Twilight Tavern, Mirina is busy cleaning the counter. "Matron, we've returned."

"Hm? Oh, that was quick. Thank the great tree you're all safe." She hands over a small bow. "This here is a Slumber Bow. It's an enchanted weapon that allows arrows fired by the user to put targets to sleep." Cyrus takes hold of the bow, strapping it to his back as he thanks Mirina. "Oh no, thank you for the assistance. Explorers have less to worry about thanks to you. Please, go get some rest; I'm sure you need it."

As the party steps into the inn, they are greeted by Amy's cheerful smile. "Welcome back, everyone!" She gives the group a once-over, checking for injuries. "Hm, everyone looks good, so I guess I don't need to do any work." She motions to pick up Fae, nuzzling their cheeks together; "You're so cute." Her attention is directed at Cyrus, whose expectant gaze suggests that he knows there is something on her mind. Though unprompted, she speaks to him. "Nii-chan, I have a request."

"Let's hear it."

"Put me in the ring; I'm ready." He raises an eyebrow to this, but doesn't motion to make an immediate reply. "I haven't given up on running my binding Skills, but from what Fiona shared with me, it sounds like you need firepower up in the new Stratum." She sets Fae down, letting out a sigh as her attention shifts back to her brother. "You also need a break." As he motions to respond, she shakes her head. "This is non-negotiable, Cyrus; doctor's orders." For a moment, he simply stares at her – when his expression shifts to show surprise, Amy realizes that her words simply hadn't registered. She looks to him with a saddened gaze, though there is sympathy within her eyes in turn. "The way you handle your failures, legitimate or otherwise, is unhealthy. You and I still need to work on that; more to the point, I'm worried about you."

Much to her surprise, Cyrus remains silent for a moment, rather than immediately attempting to brush away her concerns. He gives a single nod, surprising her once more. "I'm of no particular help out there; it…would be better to tag out." She motions to speak, likely wishing to refute the specifics of his claim, but he holds up a hand to stop her. "There's no need to dance around the fact, Amy. I'll speak with Fiona to let her know that Lissa will tag in as well; the remaining three of the current party will stay as they are." He looks to Fae, Gwenivere, and Hayato as he asks, "Is that acceptable?" They all nod to him. "Then it is decided." He nods to Amy again before motioning to head upstairs. "If you'll excuse me."

The following morning, the intended exploration party makes way for the dining area to find that breakfast is already waiting for them, though Jenetta is nowhere to be seen. A small sign sits upon the table; the message scrawled upon it is in Jenetta's bubbly penmanship, and explains that the food here is indeed meant for the Seekers. The five dine without delay, occasionally looking around to see if there is some sort of surprise in store. Though this surprise never comes to pass, Jenetta and Cyrus do eventually emerge from the kitchen armed with a few boxes. "Sorry for the wait, everyone~"

Setting down the box in his hand, Cyrus looks to his comrades as he says, "We would have eaten breakfast alongside you, but I wanted to make sure your lunch was prepared first." His gaze focuses on Amy as a smirk forms on his lips. "I made mystery rice balls for the occasion." Her expression is suddenly beaming. "Heh, I had a feeling you'd enjoy that." As the party prepares to depart, he says, "Be safe out there, everyone."

Looking to him, Lissa dons her usual soft smile. "You needn't worry; I'll keep them safe." Though his expression suggests that he has more to say, Cyrus refrains from doing so, instead nodding to Lissa as he bids the party farewell. The group steps up to the 17th floor, performing a swift survey of the area from the staircase. From here, the party has a choice of traversing two different paths, though, from this angle, they all assume that the two eventually converge regardless. Rolling her shoulder, Lissa exhales as her vision starts to focus. "Alright, team; let's get to it."

The western path is chosen first, which quickly reveals that this section of the cavern redirects to the south. As the party makes its way here, it is beset by a new Enemy Set. A Volt Cryst stands at the side of an incredibly large mole with a red and black color scheme. Its muscles are even more pronounced than the moles of the Jagged Reach, and its glistening black claws are significantly more imposing. Perhaps the most disturbing feature of this creature is its nose, which appears to be frayed open; its appearance hearkens to the sight of a flower, and is more than likely an evolutionary adaptation meant to lure in unsuspecting prey.

Regardless of this, Fae adopts a disgusted expression and takes a step back. "I don't like how that looks!" She pulls a Numbing Bomb from her pack and takes aim. She suddenly finds her form protected by a yellow veil, courtesy of Hayato's Bolt Prayer. After preemptively deploying a bunker, Lissa raises her shield as she assumes a defensive stance. Amy runs in to deliver a punch to the mole, taking it by surprise before jumping backwards to avoid the explosion of Fae's bomb. Even before the smoke has cleared, Fae shouts, "The bomb worked, but the Volt Cryst is still moving!" True to her claim, the creature spits a wad of electricity at both her and Lissa's bunker. "Ow…huh?" Her surprise stems from the mole having dug underground. "Oh no…"

Rushing to the front, in spite of the imminent danger, Gwenivere readies her electrified staff. "Lissa, hold that stance of yours! Fae, use Guard Order; little prince, use the Aegis Prayer!" As all of the defensive effects take root, she charges in at the unsuspecting Volt Cryst and delivers a clean swing with her staff, shattering the creature and leaving only its core behind. Despite all of the defensive measures in play, the mole is still able to knock her unconscious. Though she stepped back to avoid being impaled, the creature compensated the missed effort by smacking her into a wall.

As it goes in for the kill on Gwenivere's unconscious form, it is halted by Lissa's efforts to shoot it in the back. It turns to look at her, but is greeted only by Amy's fist, which causes its entire being to crash into a wall. Gwenivere is resuscitated by her combined effort with Hayato while Lissa and Fae finish off the mole. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Amy lets out a sigh of relief. "That was way too risky, Milady – you know this isn't Erdboden."

"The plan was sound – I merely overestimated my own endurance." She blushes, frowning as she says, "I apologize, dearest sister. I'll exercise more caution in the future." She removes the Monstrous Codex from the Guild's essentials, opening to the page documenting the mole they just faced. "Hm…Ice and Bash damage will be the most effective against this creature." Looking to Fae, she follows, "You may need to focus on the Numbing Bomb while we're here, little one; too many of our foes are resistant to the effects of Blind and Poison."

"What about Stun?" Gwenivere shakes her head. "It resists that, too?" She folds her arms, puffing her cheeks as an irritated expression takes form on her countenance. "Why is everything up here so dumb?" She looks to see that Amy is slightly injured. "Oh, Amy, hold still." Just as she reaches into her bag of herbs, Amy holds up a hand to stop her. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"This is just a scratch, and its helps me out in the long term."

"I don't understand."

Amy then clenches her fist, causing a red aura to envelop it. "I've been working on a new Skill during my down time – it's called Titan Killer. So long as the enemy is in better shape than I am, the attack deals more damage." She grins, her expression becoming comparable to Cyrus when one of his plans begins to come together. It sends a shiver down the spines of both Fae and Hayato, prompting the former of the two to take a step closer to Gwenivere for protection. "The difference need not even be that large; if the enemy is at 100% while I'm 99% or lower, I get the boost."

Lissa looks to her with a surprised expression. "Are you serious? I wish Giant Killer worked that way back in Armoroad; I would have been slaying fools."

"Lissa, you had Front Mortar and Berserker Vow; you didn't need more power."

"Nonsense! You can always have more power!" She looks to Gwenivere, a smile on her face as she asks, "Is it not so, Milady?"

"You only speak the truth, my fellow woman of culture." She looks to Hayato, a sweet smile on her face as she asks, "Would you not agree with such sentiments, little prince?"

Taking hold of Fae's hand, Hayato waves at his comrades as he replies, "I'm not getting involved in an argument between three women; my mother taught me better than that." He then departs with Fae, intent on sparing her the fate he just narrowly avoided. "Come along, Fae, before you are likewise corrupted." She follows along, though she's not entirely sure about the meaning behind his words. The others swiftly move to join them, allowing the exploration of this lustrous cavern to continue. Upon arriving at another patch of Forest Wheat, Hayato looks around to find several paths waiting to be chosen. "This floor is going to be more maze-like, it seems."

The northern path is chosen, which leads to a dead end and a path obstructed by a giant crystal. Before the dead end can be properly addressed, the party encounters a subspecies of the Chiroptekong from the Jagged Reach. In contrast, this creature boasts a much darker color scheme. Its fur is mostly black, with tufts of purple wrapped around its wrists. Sharp, black protrusions extend from its knuckles, which causes the party to perform a double-take. Lissa preemptively deploys a bunker in response to this notion. The creature's chest, as well as its face, feature portions of gray that evoke the visage of a skull.

Tilting her head at the sight, Fae asks, "Is The Punisher based off of this creature? Wait, that doesn't make any sense; no one's ever seen this thing before."

His expression lighting up at the notion, Hayato excitedly asks, "Oh, you read The Punisher, too?!"

Readying her shield, Lissa steps to the fore as she says, "Save it for later, you two!" She looks to her left to see a surprised expression upon Amy's countenance. "What's wrong, Amy?"

"My wounds are gone! Titan Killer is back to being weak again!" She looks to Hayato. "You have a healing passive, don't you?"

"I…oh, crap, I do; Holy Flame – it heals everyone as we explore."

"It's like Monarch March. Uh…OK. We need a plan!"

Fae is the first to act; she throws a Dark Bomb, hoping the creature is susceptible like its Second Stratum cousin. Her hopes are answered positively as her bomb irritates the creature's vision. It hurls a punch at Gwenivere, but she steps to the side to avoid damage just as she finishes casting Amplifier. ' _That was close._ ' With Aegis Prayer in effect, she takes to the fore again. Fae tosses another bomb, causing the gorilla to turn to stone. As her staff is imbued with fire from Hayato's use of the Blaze Prayer, she licks her lips as a cruel glint shines from her eyes. "Oh dearest sister; please grant me the effects of Overexertion." The Chiroptilla is promptly obliterated.

The dead end proves to be simply thus, leaving the party free to deal with the crystal. Drawing nearer to the crystal's location reveals that it's not barring the path at all. The party elects to walk around the crystal instead; looking to the map, Lissa points out the existence of a newly revealed FOE that appears to be dormant. "I'm willing to bet that striking the crystals would alert this FOE."

Looking to her, Fae asks, "What kind of monster do you think it is?"

"No clue, honestly. In a cave system like this, it could be something that relies on sonar." Before delving deeper into the system, Lissa takes notice of the sound of water flowing in the distance. She leads the party to a dead end. Spring water flows through here, and appears to be quite pristine in its visage. The sound of quacking can be heard behind a boulder. Peering from around this boulder, Lissa can see a cave duck bathing in the water. ' _These creatures can be quite temperamental, and Reese isn't here with us…better just leave it be._ '

As the hour strikes 1PM, the party arrives at one last dead end. Here lies a treasure chest, which yields a bottle of Amrita. Before heading back, the party elects to take a lunch break. Fae sits herself between Amy and Gwenivere as she happily dines on one of the rice balls Cyrus made for everyone. Before long, she realizes, "Oh! Mine has strawberries in it!"

Lissa chuckles at this. "I guess you got a good draw, Fae." She eyes her own serving, adjusting the angle before a smile forms. "Now then…" She takes a bite and is surprised to find that there are small cuts of pork within. A hint of honey mingles with the juices of the meat, bringing with this combination a savory flavor. She holds one hand to her cheek as her face turns red. A sigh of contentment escapes her after her food is swallowed. "Ah, delicious." It is at this moment that Gwenivere leans in to steal a bite of her own. "Whoa there!"

"Oh relax, darling; I fully intend to share mine in turn." She presents her rice ball forward, taking care to not reveal its contents. "Go on. Open up for me." Lissa blushes at this, muttering something about how ridiculous the situation is before complying with Gwenivere's demands. Seeing Lissa's pleasantly surprised expression, Gwenivere giggles to herself. "I pulled one flavored with chocolate; is that not divine?" Before Lissa can respond, she places a hand on her comrade's shoulder to facilitate the act of bringing herself closer to plant a kiss upon her lips. Lissa stumbles to give a reply, her face red with embarrassment. Gwenivere can only giggle at this before motioning into a second kiss that lingers. "Don't be so surprised, Elizabeth. 'Tis only natural that I'd take a liking to you. Do recall that I am the head wife – you're going to be seeing a lot more of me, so it will only behoove you to acclimate yourself early."

"You, ah…you certainly are direct. He really wasn't exaggerating."

Ignoring the happenings of her right side, Fae looks to the left to address Amy. "Amy, Amy, what'd ya get?" Amy then smiles at her, revealing that her once pearly white teeth are now blue. Fae points and laughs at the sight as Amy reveals the ingredient to her serving consisted of blueberries. Looking past Amy to see Hayato, she questions the prince in much the same way. "What about you, Prince Hayato?"

He turns his food over to show the gel-like substance within. "Looks like I got cherry; it's not bad, either." Looking to the basket in which the food was once stored, he notes that, "We still have half of the basket left, so we can save them for later if the exploration runs on."

Once their respite is over, the party cleans up the area and departs, now needing to make its way back to the area where the Forest Wheat was discovered. Nearby, tucked in away in a dead end that is further off the path, is the first Mine Point of the floor. Amy marks its location down for later so that the Guild can plan a proper return in the future. After unlocking the shortcut that leads back to the floor's entrance, the party can hear the sounds of other explorers nearby. Proceeding to the expected source, they encounter the Nomad Guild. Melissa glances back to shoot the Seekers a greeting, but quickly returns to the task at hand.

As Stacy explains, "Evelyn found what looks to be a valuable crystal, so Melissa wants to take it back with us."

Folding her arms, Evelyn sighs as her attention is directed at Melissa's efforts. "It's certainly stubborn."

Amy steps over and raises a fist, but quickly grabs hold of herself and takes a step back. "Actually, it might be better if we come back here later with Clarisse to help out; I might turn the crystal to dust as I am now…" An awkward chuckle escapes her. "I don't know how long it'll take us to chart this floor, but let's meet up at the Twilight Tavern later. We're coming back here with Reese in tow to help us hit up the Mine Points, so we'll kill two b-" She looks back to see Gwenivere, who tilts her head in an inquisitive manner as a soft smile forms on her lips. "Uh…we can handle both tasks at once."

Melissa pulls away from the crystal, letting out a sigh of frustration. "That's fine by me!" She steps over to grab both of her comrades by the hand and sets off for parts unknown. "We'll see you all later; take care!"

Half-way through 3PM, the party arrives at the southern edge of the floor, stopping once the sound of an unfamiliar voice echoes through the cavern. The lack of clarity suggests the source is quite the distance away. Curious, Amy suggests the party investigate; no one objects, so no delays impede them. Before long, they encounter a lone individual standing before a crystal wall. The person turns to face them, standing only slightly taller than Hayato. Much of her form is cloaked in an intricate orange robe, with only her crystalline blue eyes and snow-white hair being easily identified. This individual is not a Brouni, but does not appear to be Celestrian either. She silently gazes at the party, as if studying them, but makes no effort to communicate, instead vanishing as if she were little more than an illusion.

Amy blinks twice at the sight. "Did she just teleport?" She folds her arms at the notion. "And so seamlessly, too. I didn't sense any magic…" She looks to Gwenivere as she asks, "What about you, Milady?" Gwenivere shakes her head, which only causes Amy to furrow her brow. "How interesting." She then shrugs, her usual cheery expression returning as she resumes walking. "Oh well, I'm sure we'll see her again!" This cheer is soon replaced as the party is beset by a Rare Breed Chiroptilla and a fire variant of the Volt Cryst. ' _Fae hasn't recharged for Guard Order yet…_ ' "Lissa, w-" she is cut off as Lissa preemptively deploys a bunker. "Never mind!"

In a swift motion, the Chiroptilla swings its massive arm to strike at the entire party, dealing heavy damage to everyone and knocking Gwenivere out instantly. The Fire Cryst is destroyed with a single punch from Amy and the Chiroptilla is subsequently blinded by Fae's Dark Bomb. Recognizing its bad situation, the creature elects to flee instead of taking its chance to potentially finish the party off. Fae rushes over to revive Gwenivere using her herbs. The Witch awakes with a groan, opening her eyes to ask, "What in the world?" She looks to see that her comrades are all injured. "I do detest Rare Breeds."

After everyone's injuries are addressed, the party continues forward to step through a door waiting at the south-western edge of the floor. Within is a trove of crystals that litter the entire area. Though the idea of gathering them all is tempting, the party feels that this is an effort best endeavored in the future. Amy marks this location down for future reference before departing. Knowing that another instance of the unknown dormant FOE is nearby, and having no understanding for its hearing range, the party elects to refrain from destroying the giant crystal that blocks their path. Judging from the dimensions of the map, it is merely blocking a dead end. Shrugging at the notion, Lissa says, "Whatever's there will keep. Let's get going."

A door stands before the Seekers at E2. The party steps in and immediately looks to their right to find a giant blue worm boasting a frightening maw on both ends of its body. Fae holds her hands to her mouth in order to stifle a scream. Her legs are shaking as she makes way to Gwenivere; she hides herself behind the Witch, her voice likewise uneven as she says, "I don't wanna fight that thing…"

Gwenivere crouches down to envelop the child in a gentle embrace. "You needn't fear, little one; we won't engage such a horrible creature." She looks around to find no less than two crystals in the room. "It is as Lissa guessed earlier; these worms will be attracted to our acts of striking these crystals." The party proceeds through this room, noting that the giant worm does not take notice of their presence. The door leading out of this room mandates the destruction of a crystal, prompting Amy to cautiously take up the pickaxe. "It must be done, sister."

The worm reacts promptly to the first swing, motioning westward. The second swing destroys the crystal, likewise bringing the worm another step westward. Curiously, the creature stops moving, as if to process the sudden disappearance of the source it was just following. "It really does make use of sonar. Let's go."

Stepping into the next room, the party is met with two more worms, both of which are staring the other down. Fae's heart sinks into her stomach at the sight. "No…" It takes all the courage she has to hold back her screams and tears as one of the worms draws dangerously close to the party after they destroy the crystal blocking their path. She looks back, against her own better judgment, and is surprised to find that the FOE is not giving chase. "It didn't attack when we were up close, either…" Stepping into the next room, Fae can immediately see a huge dilemma. One of these worms is next to the exit, but said exit is blocked by a giant crystal. "Oh, I can't anymore…"

Hayato, who has been silent this entire time, finally speaks up. "I'm with Fae." Pointing at the map, he follows, "There's a shortcut just up ahead. Let's finish this section and rest our nerves at the inn." The solution to this setup proves to be simple. The crystal on the far left is completely shattered, drawing in the two worms. This grants the party just enough time to rush over to the crystal blocking their path and destroy it in turn. They break through the opened way to arrive at an atrium containing two doors. As promised, they take the door that leads to the shortcut, unlock it, and then return to Iorys via Ariadne Thread.

An hour is spent before the party returns to the Lucent Hollows. To everyone's surprise, Fae insisted on entering the fray once more. Her fear is still present, but she says, "I- I'll keep it together until we're done. It's just one more room of those things, right?" Before entering the room in question, the party explores the path beyond the shortcut they recently unlocked. It leads to a treasure chest containing 7000 ental. As she walks back with her comrades, Fae takes notice of a portion of the map's eastern edge that hasn't had its fog lifted. Pointing to it, she directs Amy's attention as she asks, "We can't reach this place, right?"

"Hm, we should be able to. These maps always fill out, fog included, so there's probably a hidden staircase somewhere." Looking to Lissa, she says, "We haven't found any unique keys for the sealed doors yet, have we?" Lissa shakes her head. "I wonder where it's being kept in this Yggdrasil…" Her thoughts on this matter are quickly set aside once she and her comrades step into the next FOE gauntlet. The area is not open as she was internally hoping it would be. Instead, the area before them is a more cramped cavern that is somehow meant to accommodate three of these worms. ' _You have got to be shitting me. What in the Seven Hells is this setup?!_ ' She looks to Fae, whose blank expression suggests that she's too afraid to express such fears. "Fae, I'm so sorry; are you sure you don't want to turn back?"

She shakes her head, walking over to grab hold of Gwenivere's hand. "I- I'll be strong; you all need my bombs for Conditional Drops…"

' _Bless her sweet little heart._ ' After drawing the bulk of what she can see, she nods to herself. "OK, team, one last push." The layout of this room leaves much to be desired. Two giant crystals are directly beside each other, with one of them being directly in front of a worm FOE. Amy reins in her fury as she observes the situation. ' _OK, Hasani – think. We know the worms return to their original locations, but will this be after we leave the area; or will they lose interest while we're still here?_ ' With no choice but to take at least one swing, Amy strikes the crystal. In turn, the worm nearest to the party moves westward. ' _Horizontal preference? No, they're tracking the source, not the crystal!_ ' She looks to her comrades. "I have this one figured out. Follow my lead."

After destroying the first crystal, Lissa points out that their exit is blocked off. Amy steps over to the next crystal and takes a single swing, bringing the nearest worm another pace closer, but more importantly, moving the other two worms out of the way. Seeing this unfold on the map, Lissa nods as a smile forms on her face. "Right, I get it." She picks up Fae, allowing the child to hide her face in her scarf. "Leave the rest to us; we're almost out of here."

As the hour strikes 11PM, the party steps through the exit of this horrid sub-cavern and is immediately graced with the sight of the ascending staircase that leads to the next floor. Everyone exhales a sigh of relief, taking a moment to calm their nerves before mapping out the rest of this area and unlocking the final shortcut. As they warp back to Iorys, Gwenivere elects to escort Fae back to the inn; Hayato joins them. Lissa and Amy make way for the Council Hall, hoping to catch Prince Ramus before he turns in for the night.

"Ah, hello again." Amy hands him the completed map of the 17th floor. "Much appreciated. Will you be needing this tonight?"

Amy shakes her head. "We're going to do a mining run before turning in for the night, but I've already memorized the map, so I'll just lead the expedition."

"Your memory must be impeccable." He studies the map in his hands for a moment, trying to discern any noteworthy details. "As the head of the council, it's my job to oversee the exploration of Yggdrasil. It is a task that I once thought would take a lifetime to complete, whose results would only be realized by our descendents." He furls the map, a smile forming on his face as he chuckles to himself. "And yet, here we are now; you all have reached the half-way point of the 4th Stratum, and we're only on the 27th of the Emperor. So much progress has been made in barely a month's time. With your Guild at the helm, I believe we may reach that goal much sooner."

Lissa bows to him as she says, "You can count on us, your highness. These sorts of endeavors are what the Seekers handle best."

"I have no doubt of that, Lissa, though I do occasionally find myself worrying about your struggles. Cyrus stopped by earlier today; he seemed…restless and in search of purpose. I figured he was simply bored and wished to make use of his skills, but now…the situation strikes me as being more serious."

Amy shakes her head. "You needn't worry about him, Prince Ramus. Ni- My brother has always been that way. When he makes a mistake that can't immediately be corrected, he seeks for alternate means of redemption. Better he assist you with council work than dive into Yggdrasil by himself…again." Ramus raises an eyebrow at her word choice, but decides that pressing further would probably not be wise.

"I trust you all will look after him; a great leader requires great companions – this is true of any camaraderie."

He then bids the two farewell, granting them leave of the council. Just as they arrive at Mirina's tavern, Egar emerges from the entrance. "Ah, well met, members of Seekers. How are you on this evening?"

Smiling at him, Amy says, "Doin' great, Sir Egar! We just got back from finishing up the 17th floor."

"Oh? You have already reached the 18th? Your progress is astonishing. I had feared that progress would falter from the way Cyrus described his predicament, but it would appear that this was unfounded." He chuckles, folding his arms as he steps to the side of the entrance. "An excellent leader though he may be, the Runic Gale has yet to recover from the malady that has plagued him since he founded the Guild." Seeing Lissa's solemn nod, he asks, "Am I on the right track?"

"It is as you say. Cyrus has always struggled with leadership; his greatest shortcoming is failing to remember that he needn't be invincible. The Guildmaster of Lagaard often says that 'many in harmony surpass one in perfection', and I believe her words to be true even now. He's learning, taking the lesson to heart day by day; he just needs us to support him as we always have."

Egar nods to this. "As expected of Logan's prized pupil. Such praises are warranted indeed; it is easy to understand why Cyrus places so much trust in you." She blushes at this, raising her scarf as she averts her gaze. This elicits a chuckle from Egar. "No need to be embarrassed; take pride in yourself and what you've accomplished." He then departs from the area, leaving Lissa to reflect on his words.

The two step inside the tavern, waving to Mirina as they approach the counter. "Yo, Matron."

Grinning, Amy asks, "Guess who just cleared the 17th floor?" She wraps an arm around Lissa's farthest shoulder and pulls her closer. Throwing up the peace sign, she says, "We did~"

"Do the Seekers ever take breaks? At the pace you're going, the 20th floor will be old news before the next month begins." Resting a hand on her hip, she says, "I have to wonder what's at the top of the great tree. From down here, you can tell that there's definitely something."

Lissa chuckles, resting a hand on her hip in turn. "We intend to find out; I'm curious to see what sort of 5th Stratum Iorys has. The ones of Etria, Lagaard, and Armoroad all greatly contrasted each other, with the one in Lagaard not even being a part of Yggdrasil." It is at this moment a Pugilist steps up to the counter. His presence brings with it a soft breeze. ' _Whoa, this guy's quick._ '

"Hey, how's it going? You're exploring the 4th Stratum too, right?" Lissa nods. "When you get near a crystal, does it make a sound like whoosh?"

Lissa takes a moment to think on this before asking, "Are you referring to the crystals on the 18th floor?" He nods emphatically. "The Seekers have only just reached that floor; how long has your Guild been exploring the place?"

"Oh, so that was you guys we were following after! You see, we went straight to the 18th floor, thinking that's where you all went. While we were up there, we encountered new crystals that are unlike the ones on the 17th floor. Going near these will teleport you!" Lissa visibly shudders as a disgusted expression forms on her countenance. "Is something wrong?"

"Just…bad memories of Etria's 6th Stratum. The 29th floor had the single-worst warp maze I've ever had the displeasure of traversing…and I wasn't even the one who drew the map." She looks around, not seeing that many unfamiliar faces. "Where's your Guild now?"

"Still in the Labyrinth." Lissa and Amy's eyes go wide at this. "I kept getting teleported around and separated from the others so I just came back here…" It takes a moment, but he soon processes his actions. "Ah crap. They're gonna be so pissed; they're probably gonna make my head go whoosh…"

He steps away, likely to reflect on his actions some more. Looking to Mirina, Amy asks for any available jobs. "There are three, but I think you're better off just handling one tonight. It comes from Syrik, and it looks like he's still kinda down; think you could talk to him and see what he needs?"

They both nod to her, accepting the quest. Before leaving, they spot a man at a table polishing a set of keys. Amy approaches and gives a greeting. "Ah, hello there. Are you aware of the sealed doors within Yggdrasil?" She nods, looking at him expectantly. "I tried to force one open once. All I got out of it was a bunch of busted tools."

She winces at the notion. "A pity you didn't meet us sooner. I could've told you that only special keys can open those doors. Assuming this Yggdrasil Labyrinth is anything like the one from Armoroad, the key will be somewhere within Yggdrasil itself."

"Where do you suppose it will be?"

"I'm hoping it's the 4th Stratum. The first three Strata all have Sealed Doors, but so far, the fourth hasn't presented a single one. I was hoping it'd be on the 17th floor, but nothing turned up." She smirks, resting her hands on her hips. "We're gonna get back to work pretty soon, so I'm hoping we find it."

"I'm hoping you succeed. Best of luck out there."

A quick search around the bar reveals that Evelyn and her trio are occupying a table in the back. Remembering their earlier promise, Amy invites them back out to the Labyrinth, citing that they are ready to take care of this final task before the night is through. The Nomad Guild agrees, and soon the two groups set out for the marketplace.


	32. Beyond the Silence

**Chapter 32: Beyond the Silence**

Arriving at the marketplace, Amy skips over to Syrik and picks him up to squeeze him in her embrace. "Ah, I missed this feeling."

"Amy, ya gotta warn me before you do stuff like this!" She sets him down, even taking the extra effort to ease his clothes. "So what brings ya here?"

Lissa steps forward and says, "We accepted your request."

"Ah, good, good. Things are a little different this time. See, a little while ago, I got a letter from my mama back home." Seeing Melissa and Amy don distressed expressions, he quickly dispels their fears. "It's nothin' bad; don't worry! She was just checking in. I wanna send her a gift with my reply…I saw some of the ores mined from the Lucent Hollows when I was browsing my competition."

Crossing her arms, Evelyn says, "This must have been what Cyrus figured was bothering you."

"Um, yeah, you're right. I was at a loss on not knowing what to do, and it's kinda embarrassing to admit that." He chuckles. "Then again, it's not too bad; I trust you lot."

Flexing her arm, Amy grins as she says, "Leave it to us, Syrik; I'll bring nii-chan along to guarantee we get something great for your mom." With this, the group makes way for Jenetta's Inn to assemble a gathering party. Cyrus, Gwenivere, and Clarisse are chosen to round out the Seekers; with their mining implements in tow, the group sets out. Returning to the 17th floor, Amy takes a moment to stretch. "Hey, nii-chan? There weren't any lizards up here. In fact, we met a subspecies of the Chiroptekong."

"Fae showed me the new encounters in the Monstrous Codex. While blind is useful up here, the Chiroptilla has a party-wide attack; I'd say raw mitigation would be more consistent." Stepping forward, his left eye dons a blue glow. "The nearest ore deposit is this way, I trust?"

Amy nods to him, taking hold of his hand as she leads the way. "Good to know the Runic Eye still works, oh but we need to hit up a spot for the Nomads first." Much to everyone's relief, the crystal is still here.

Clarisse steps forward, eyeing the crystal as if to judge its defensive mettle. "Why didn't you take care of this, Stinger?"

She pushes her fingers together, blushing as she says, "If I gave it a go, I'd turn the crystal to dust."

Clarisse shrugs at this, chuckling as she says, "Let me show you my technique." Despite this boast, there is no technique to speak of, for Clarisse just rips the crystal free with ease. She hands it over to Evelyn, who in turn offers half of it to her. "You don't want the whole thing?"

"Come now, we never would have gotten this without your help. Thank you."

Looking to Melissa, Stacy asks, "What was stopping you from doing that?"

"I had the same fear as Amy…"

After exchanging farewells, the two parties separate, with the Nomads electing to finish their exploration of this floor's final gauntlet while the Seekers set out to mine. As the hour strikes midnight, they begin working on obtaining materials from the Mine Point located due north of the shortcut. Here, they find several units of a material Cyrus identifies as Selenite. He has to adjust the angle at which his comrades can view it, for the ore is almost completely transparent. "You can refine this into powder and use it to make weapons from there. We have some impressive cuts, but I don't think we should use these as Syrik's gift."

Amy then holds up a cut of ore that reflects a myriad of colors depending on the angle at which light strikes it. "What about this? It's pretty soft despite being ore."

"That would be Bismuth; we treat that using heat to make it easier to process. We still have one more Mine Point to hit, so let's hope we find the rare yield of this Stratum at that location." It is at this location that he finds a single unit of a crystallized mineral that boasts a distinct coloring. "Hm…I believe this is Agate." To test this, he sets the mineral on the ground and raps his knuckles against it. The resulting sound suggests that the rock is hollow, which brings a smile to his face. "Indeed. This should suffice."

As he motions to pull the Ariadne Thread from his pocket, Lissa holds up a hand to stop him. "There's a trove of minerals that we should visit before we leave. It's not far from here."

When the party arrives, Lissa, Gwenivere, and Amy get to work immediately. From the corner of his eye, Cyrus can see that one of the crystals just moved on its own. He then takes note of the familiar yellow coloration. "Shit. Draw your weapons!" The ladies jump back upon realizing that the crystals they intended to gather are actually resting Volt Crysts. Gwenivere triggers the use of Tri-Magic to destroy all of the enemies before they can act. Though he sighs at this, Cyrus can sense more in the area. He glances up to see four more falling from the ceiling. "Lissa, use Mana Guard; Milady, cast Lightning on the front row!"

Knowing Gwenivere and Clarisse will act before he can, Cyrus rests his hand on the hilt of his katana as he waits. A bolt of lightning strikes the two Fire Crysts up front, knocking them off balance; in turn, Clarisse's arrow strikes one of the Volt Crysts on the rear line. Seeing this as his chance, he draws his blade, creating a ripple effect that causes blades of wind to slice at the enemy group. To his surprise, they are not vanquished by his actions. For his efforts, both of the Fire Crysts spit wads of flame at him, eliciting a scream of agony as the flames lick his body.

Though suffering from incredible pain, he calls for his allies to continue fighting, sheathing his blade as he preps another attack. Amy bestowed upon him the effects of Overexertion, not knowing that he'd incur such damage beforehand. She charges into the fray, surging her fist into the face of the one Volt Cryst that has been damaged the least. Because she suffered damage just moments prior, her use of Titan Killer is granted its damage boost, allowing her to destroy the creature in a single strike. In turn, Gwenivere's second cast of lightning yields the same result upon the front line; Clarisse cleans up with but one last arrow to the straggler.

Rushing over to Cyrus, Clarisse calls out to him, "Stay with us, Co!" She then sees that another group of enemies is climbing down the walls. "Of course there's a third wave."

Worse still, the third wave consists of two Fire Crysts and a Sword Saurian, which brings pause to both Cyrus and Gwenivere. Lissa preemptively deploys a bunker and triggers the use of Tri-Shield between Cyrus, Gwenivere, and herself. ' _I saved this for a reason._ ' She then readies her shield to use Mana Guard, which Amy takes as her opportunity to charge in and hit the lizard.

Seeing that the lizard is readying itself in much the same way Fiona would when readying her Chain Skills, Amy surges her fist into the Sword Saurian, sending it crashing into a wall. Its limp body hits the ground with an echoing thud, lifeless. A bolt of lightning crashes down, striking the remaining two enemies. This is not enough to bring them down, nor is Clarisse and Cyrus' combined effort to clean up. Luckily, Lissa's use of Tri-Shield negates all of their fire attacks, allowing for the group to secure the victory shortly thereafter. More enemies are present, and seem to cautiously approach the group. Cyrus scares them away entirely with a defiant roar. The party gathers up the spoils of war and then warps out of here.

The following morning, the mining party makes way for the market place to meet with Syrik. They didn't drop off any materials the previous evening due to the time being so late. Syrik looks to them now with expectant eyes. "Mornin' guys; did you sleep well?"

A weak chuckle escapes Cyrus as he shrugs. "After last night's final battle, I really can't complain." He hands over the only cut of Agate the group managed to procure. "Here, this is for you."

The merchant takes a moment to study the mineral in his hands, noting its quality. "Nice, nice…" His eyes then widen with a realization. "W- Whoa now, isn't this the rarest ore in the Lucent Hollows?"

"Yes. That was kind of the point. This is a gift for your mom, right? She deserves only the best."

"Th- Thank you so much! I'm gonna write tons about you guys in this letter!" The joy in his voice is unlike anything the Seekers have heard from him before. It is all he can do to refrain from hopping around, but he keeps himself in line. "Really, thank you so much. She'll be so proud to know I have such dedicated regulars…and such good friends."

Cyrus chuckles at the thought. "It's our pleasure, Syrik. Now then." He then places the bag containing the other gathered minerals onto the counter. "We have materials to sell."

"Ah, good, good." As he organizes the materials, he makes small talk to fill the dead air. "So the other day, Jenetta's older sister came by to sell a whole bunch of rare crystals. With the money she got, she bought her sister a silver hair ornament."

Putting a finger to her chin, Gwenivere says, "That would explain Jenetta's chipper mood."

"As she was leaving, she took an interest in an old, earthen figurine I was gonna throw out. I sold it to her for cheap, but I do wonder what she's gonna use it for."

Donning an inquisitive expression, Cyrus says, "I'm kind of curious, too. In any case, I'll be back in due time to forge that new Zhezl Staff for Gwenivere." His voice suddenly becomes menacing as he says, "Oh, the power she will wield." It is at this moment that he transitions into a malicious chuckle. Gwenivere and Lissa shiver at the notion, while Amy and Syrik just laugh. Once its business here is complete, the party reports in to Mirina at the Twilight Tavern. Glancing at the clipboard, Cyrus notices a new request that was recently written down. "Is that a new request, Matron?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, it is. That one comes from Jenetta. Apparently, her inn is about to enter a busy season, so she's in need of extra help. I wonder what she'll have you do." She grins, looking to Cyrus as she follows, "If I were in her position, I'd put you on chef duty." A giggle escapes her. "Regardless, I won't keep you; better hop to it before she gets overwhelmed, right?"

As he steps away, a thought occurs to him. He turns to face Mirina as he says, "You know, you never held up your end of the bargain we made."

"Oh, that." She waves him off. "It has something to do with my previous work as an explorer. I'll give you the details later." He gives her a blank stare in response. "Cyrus, I do believe you are needed elsewhere." Her conniving grin only elicits a sigh of defeat from the man; he departs without pressing for an answer, which causes Mirina to chuckle. ' _Such a curious one._ '

As the party steps into the inn, Jenetta is ready to greet them. "Hiya, dear guests~ Turning in early?" Amy and Clarisse snicker at the notion, their eyes fixed on Cyrus. Lissa steps forward to clarify that they're here for the request, which causes Jenetta to let out a cry of joy as she hops into the air. "I'm so glad you're the ones who took the job. I've been swamped with work recently. Cyrus sticking around was a real blessing in disguise, as he's been helping out a lot. See, just this morning, I was supposed to pack lunches for some guests, but I totally forgot."

Cyrus asks, "Was it for Freeblade or the Nomads?" When Jenetta clarifies that the lunches are actually going to three separate parties, Cyrus nods. "Oh boy. I can only assume they're all in Yggdrasil, but did they say where they'd be?"

"Conrad's Guild said they'd be exploring beyond the hidden passage on the 17th floor." She points at the map in Amy's hands, prompting the Pugilist to unfurl it. She points to three separate locations, none of which have been explored by the Seekers. "I don't know how you'd get there."

Glancing at the map, Cyrus shades his eyes. "That is curious. Amy never misses secret shortcuts." Pointing to the dead end located at the southern-most edge of the map, he follows, "Check this area first. I have reason to suspect that someone recently dug through a wall by accident, thus revealing the secret area. If this area is not the entrance, then it will be by that treasure chest you found in B5." He looks to Lissa as he follows, "Stay vigilant – there could very well be more Sword Saurians dwelling within."

"I take it that means you won't join us?" He shakes his head. "Are you unwell?"

"The party you led yesterday is more suited for this. I trust the rest of you to make the right calls out there." A smile forms on his lips as a chuckle escapes him. "I mean, you preserved your Union Skill last night instead of burning it on the first chance you had at healing us. That saved my life, Lissa, just as it did against that Toxipede from earlier in the month." He steps over to pick up three separately packed lunches. As he hands them to Lissa, he places a kiss upon her forehead. "You've never let me down, you know? From our time in Etria to now – you've always made the right calls when I couldn't. I want you to know I appreciate that, Elizabeth, and that I'll always trust in your skills."

Her cheeks turn red at this; she motions with her free hand to raise her scarf, but slowly relents as she looks Cyrus in the eyes instead. Resting a hand on his shoulder, she leans in for a quick kiss, pulling away as she says, "That trust will never be misplaced – I promise you that."

He nods to her before handing a fourth lunch to Gwenivere. "Don't think I've forgotten about the rest of you. Be safe out there, my beloved liege."

"You need not worry. Ah, before I forget, I am nearing a breakthrough with Clever Strike." She smiles at him, her face confident in its glow. "Once I work out the final stages of mastery, I believe we should return to the Fetid Necropolis and deal with the Headless Hunter we promised to vanquish."

"Do you have a team in mind?" She nods to him. "Very well. I will leave the details to you, but be sure to run the plan by me before you all depart."

With the two in accord, Lissa assembles the exploration party she led yesterday and sets out to find the secret area of the 17th floor. The southern end Cyrus noted before was not the entrance the party was looking for, so they instead make way for the north-eastern corner of the floor at B5. After destroying the crystal that bars their path, the party begins searching for a hidden passage. Amy eventually finds it as the hour strikes 9AM. "Damn it. I walked right past this. Alright everyone, we're going in." Shortly into the trek, the party finds a staircase that leads to the 16th floor. Looking to Lissa, Amy says, "We'll have to explore this secret area later."

"Indeed." Before long, the party reaches the first location noted by Jenetta. An unfamiliar Guild by the name of Sky Peacock is here, dining by a campfire. She raises a hand in greeting before presenting the party's boxed lunch. In return for the service, they offer the Seekers some of the fishball soup that they just cooked. Gwenivere strides over, eyes sparkling at the sight, and offers her sincerest gratitude before departing with her comrades. There is a noteworthy pep to her step as she hums to herself. "Someone's in a good mood."

The next destination is farther south, deep within a few winding turns within the complex of a sub-cavern. After destroying two crystals to arrive at this destination, the party soon happens upon another Guild mining for ore. Conrad's Guild stands before them, with everyone except Franklin wielding a pickaxe. In his stead, Jilian wields two, though both are controlled via magic. Abel is busy punching away at the ore deposits – a common enough sight that no one feels it is worth commenting on.

Turning to face Gwenivere, Jilian smiles as she asks, "Are you and Lissa not here with your husband today? Or might this be an outing just for the two of you?" Gwenivere steps forward to offer the lunch packed by Jenetta. "My, my." She accepts the food, noting that everyone in her party was starting to grow hungry. As a token of thanks, she offers a cut of Bismuth. "You went to such trouble; please, take this." No one objects to the offer. The two parties bid each other farewell before the Seekers depart.

Two paths are available to them – one to the east, and the other to the west. Hayato suggests the eastern path be their first choice, considering that the western path seemed to stretch on for quite some time. The eastern path proves to be somewhat similar, but his call is ultimately the correct one. What's more, the party arrives at the last location marked by Jenetta in time to hear the sounds of combat from up ahead. Though they brace themselves to charge in, the noises quickly die back down. Up ahead is a group of unfamiliar explorers surrounded by the corpses of the monsters they just worked to slay. A male Therian Masurao steps forward and introduces himself as the leader of this Guild, which addresses itself as the Hallowed Hunters.

Fae's expression brightens upon seeing this Therian. "I remember you! You were the one who asked Uncle Cyrus how to flash step!"

After looking at Fae for a moment, the Masurao's face brightens in turn. "Oh yeah! You were the little one helping out at Syrik's shop. I didn't know you were an explorer." He crouches down, patting her on the head as he chuckles. "I bet you must be really strong to keep up with the Seekers."

Gwenivere chuckles at this. "She is a born natural with a keen sense for reactive combat. Her situational awareness, once honed, will be known throughout the land."

"A- Aunt Gwen…you're embarrassing me…" She quickly presents the Hallowed Hunters' lunch. "M- Ms. Jenetta made this for you!" In return, the party receives five units of cut meat, freshly procured from the monsters the Hallowed Hunters just defeated. With their task complete, the party elects to return to the descending staircase to explore the secret area of the 16th floor. They touch down as the hour strikes 2PM. Fae watches the map as Amy works to draw it, quickly noting the appearance of a dormant FOE. She grabs hold of Amy's robe, tugging as she says, "There's a worm in there! Let's go down the other path…please?"

Much to her relief, this request is heeded. The newly chosen path leads to a sub-cavern where the turtle FOE roams. As the party allows the creature to move past them, Gwenivere is reminded of something important. "Amy, Lissa. This is the floor where we encountered the Sword Saurians. Be on your guard." The caverns within which these turtle FOEs roam prove to be quite small, requiring precise timing in order to slip into their territory. It isn't until the hour strikes 7PM that the Seekers arrive at the end of this cavern. Here lies a treasure chest containing a Haste Pin. Deflated, Gwenivere sighs at this. "Blast." Rather than walk all the way back, the party warps out of the Labyrinth using an Ariadne Thread.

A quick stop is made at Jenetta's Inn, where the innkeeper expresses her gratitude to the party for its continued assistance. Cyrus and Clarisse can be seen rapidly changing places in the kitchen. Though curious, the party decides to leave the duo undisturbed. They head to the Twilight Tavern to turn in their report to Mirina. With this done, they return to the secret area of the 16th floor, which takes two whole hours to reach. Before stepping through the door that leads to the lair of the worm FOE, the party takes a break, only just now realizing that none of them ever ate.

Courtesy of Cyrus, their meal is once again of eastern origin. Within the boxed lunch are divided portions of various foods. Japanese-style omelets, fried rice mixed with cuts of chicken, and sushi rolls are just a few of the selection available. Before digging in, Lissa looks to the rice and asks, "Isn't the rice usually served plain?"

Breaking her chopsticks apart, Amy says, "Oh, this is just Cyrus' personal style. He changes up the recipe sometimes."

A satisfied hum sounds from Gwenivere, bringing everyone's attention to her. "My beloved used mackerel for the sushi this time. I simply must reward him later."

The meal is eaten in silence from here, with the party members being content with each others' company. Steeling themselves for what is to come, the Seekers step through the door. There are five crystals to deal with; four are lined up in a single column while one is tucked away in the corner. After destroying the first crystal, Amy begins to see what is expected of the party. She strikes the second crystal in the sequence once, beckoning the worm dangerously close to the party's current location. She then moves to the crystal tucked in the corner to give it a single strike in turn, which lures the worm just a bit farther away from the ultimate goal.

After fully destroying the second crystal in the sequence, she and her team step up to the third. "We can do this, Fae. I won't let you down. You all stay here; I need to hit the corner crystal one last time." Her plan gives the party just enough room to break the last two crystals and blitz for the exit. Through the next door is a large expanse where another worm dwells dangerously close to the crystal that leads further in. "I don't like these things." She readies the pickaxe, only to quickly recall her positioning. ' _Wait…horizontal preference still applies._ ' In recognition of this, she alters her placement so that the first strike is delivered while she is stationed at the southern edge of the crystal. This grants her room to take the second swing from the east side, shattering it while preventing an engagement with the worm.

In the next area are two worms and three crystals, one of which bars the way. After clearing up some portions of the map that were still hidden, the party can see that another worm lies beyond the crystal they are meant to shatter, which complicates matters. Fae, through her fear, says, "I- I think we should break the one blocking our path first." She shivers in place, trying to look in any direction where the worms won't grace her vision. "We have to get that third worm in here since the path it's on is probably really narrow." Amy nods to this, albeit with a solemn expression on her face. "D- Don't be sad, Amy." She balls her hands into fists, holding them close to her chest as she tries to give her comrade a reassuring expression to gaze upon. "W- We can do this." In response, Amy picks up the child and squeezes her in another embrace. "Ack, too tight…"

After the crystal is broken, the party is faced with a new dilemma – there are four worms quickly drawing in on their location. The group alternates between striking the remaining two crystals available to them, remaining mindful of horizontal preference as they work. The final crystal is fully shattered, drawing the last worm away from the path they need to take. True to form, the area beyond the crystal that barred the way of progress is narrow – had Fae's advice gone unheeded, the party would have faced an unavoidable battle. The party reaches the end of a long tunnel on the cusp of 1AM. Before them is a treasure chest, one that Hayato opens while his comrades wait in silence.

Turning around, he shows his comrades an extravagant key decorated with ancient runes. Amy and Lissa fist pump, silently cheering in unison at the sight. With the Master Key in tow, the Seekers are now free to explore beyond the sealed doors of Yggdrasil. With a job well done, Amy uses a spool of Ariadne Thread to warp her party out of Yggdrasil. Their next stop is Jenetta's Inn, where their beds await them. As they step inside, they are greeted with the sight of Jenetta sitting at a table with Cyrus directly across from her.

Turning to face her guests, Jenetta dons her usual smile and says, "Welcome back~ My older sis came back from the Lucent Hollows, and even brought souvenirs! She came home with a big box and a small box, and told me and our little sis to pick one each."

Carrying the thread, Cyrus says, "The youngest sister is quite swift when it comes to making these sorts of decisions. She quickly spoke up, choosing the larger box."

"It's only natural to want what you can't have, so I snagged the big box for myself, instead." She blushes, pushing her fingers together as she says, "I needed to take a stand as the middle child. I was not expecting to find an earthen figure inside the big box; I gotta wonder what was in the small one…" Seeing that Cyrus is giving a knowing smile, she pouts. "Cyrus is being mean! I know he knows something, but he won't tell me."

Putting this notion aside, Cyrus looks to his comrades and asks, "How did the exploration go?" Hayato then presents the Master Key, eliciting a chuckle from the Guild's leader. "The time has come. What a fortuitous coincidence as well." He rises from his seat and presents a staff to Gwenivere. A snake ornament coils around the tip, and the embedded gem is composed of Selenite. She takes the staff into her hands, feeling a surge of aether course through her. "This is your weapon upgrade, dear; I hope you like it."

She plants a kiss upon his lips, smiling sweetly as she says, "First the mackerel sushi, and now this staff. It does not take much for you to win my favor, Cyrus; I'm not as difficult to please as I once was."

He scoffs at this. "Now we both know that's a lie." She puffs out a cheek in response to this, trying to look as cross with him as possible. He chuckles at the sight. "Still, if you wish to reward me, I certainly wouldn't object." Accepting the key from Hayato, he turns it in his grip to get a better look at the runes. "What a curious design. We'll have to set aside some time to explore the sealed areas of the previous Strata. Personally, I'd like to enter the treasure troves at the very least, but I won't decide the timing on my own." He pockets the key, letting out a yawn before saying, "I believe that is sufficient; get some deserved rest, everyone."

When morning comes, the majority of the Chain Squad has assembled at a forest clearing not far from Jenetta's Inn. Fiona is busy servicing her gear, freeing up space for Diana to hold her position instead. Here, Gwenivere is engaged in furthering her training in mastering the use of Clever Strike. Her staff is imbued with electricity, courtesy of Hayato's maintained use of Bolt Prayer. A solid block of ice stands as her target, with her intended task mandating this block's destruction. She charges in to deliver another strike to this block, but fails to even chip it.

She exhales before wiping the sweat from her brow. She has been at this for no less than an hour, but has made no visible progress. A look of frustration is visible upon her countenance, though she does not look ready to cease her efforts any time soon. Easing into her stance to ready another strike, she thinks to herself, ' _There is something about this that I am missing._ ' She takes a few steps around the area, altering her position to study her target from different angles. ' _Did Cyrus create this block with a specific weak point?_ ' She shakes her head. ' _No, that wouldn't help me in the long term._ ' She glances at him, hoping to glean some degree of information from his expression; alas, he is wearing his poker face, giving her nothing to go off of. ' _Perhaps I should ask for guidance…_ '

Glancing at her son, Diana asks, "Are you not going to help her? I can see the desire in your expression, Cyrus."

"I would offer it, but she will refuse." He sighs, taking a step forward. ' _It's worth a shot regardless._ ' Looking to his liege, he asks, "Do you require a hint of some sort?"

This brings Gwenivere pause. She looks to him, her eyes suggesting that she is about to accept the offer without hesitation, but then she relents, adopting a contemplative stance as she thinks on the matter. ' _Perhaps this is some sort of test._ ' Her face adopts a conflicted countenance as several possible thoughts swim through her mind, but she draws no closer to a definitive answer. Looking to him, her pained expression retained, she asks, "Would it not be better if I figured out my shortcoming on my own?"

Diana says, "There will be occasions when you need someone else to point out what you cannot see. After all, what you're doing right now is by no means bad – in fact, your approach is effective and methodical; it's just…not optimal."

"As the name implies, Clever Strike is about drawing upon your creativity to achieve the best result."

Gwenivere frowns at this. "Considering my incessant need to be methodical and calculative, that will certainly pose a problem." She takes a moment to stare at her staff before shifting her focus back to the block of ice that still stands to deny her progression. Her blood begins to boil at the thought as her grip on the staff tightens.

Looking up from her textbook, Fae directs her attention at Gwenivere and presents a question: "Hey, Aunt Gwen? How come you always swing the staff like a katana?" This snaps the Witch out of her fury as she looks to the child with a confused expression. "In battle, it looks like you're trying to cut down the monsters, but aren't staves meant for bashing?" Gwenivere stares at her for a moment, processing a series of thoughts as a revelation occurs. "D- Did I say something weird?"

Gwenivere quickly shakes her head to the notion. "No, sweetie, not at all. I believe I have my solution thanks to you." She looks to Hayato as she says, "Once more, please." Once the Bolt Prayer is back in effect, she nods, turning her focus back to the block of ice as she thanks Hayato for his assistance. The staff in her hands is rotated so that the embedded Selenite is directed towards the ground. She holds her weapon before her with one hand while the other is held just above the crystal, ' _Concentrate. If this Skill is about using your imagination, then I need only imagine the most optimal form a weapon needs to crush my foes…_ ' It takes a moment to channel the aether properly, but soon, electric energy forms around the staff to grant it the form of a giant yellow hammer. She takes a deep breath, exhaling as she opens her eyes to set them upon her target once more. ' _It's ready._ '

Despite the implications of its size, the hammer weighs no more than the staff usually does. Gwenivere jumps back to grant herself some space for a running start; with this, she slams the hammer to the ground, propelling herself into the air above the block of ice. She adjusts herself whilst in the air to get a better striking angle, and allows gravity to handle the rest. She and her comrades wait in silence as she makes her descent. When the hammer strikes the ice, it is crushed into fleeting specks of diamond dust; this is shortly followed by a bolt of lightning striking where the head of Gwenivere's hammer just landed. She rises to her feet, resting the shaft of the hammer on her shoulder before looking to her husband with a triumphant grin on her face. He is smiling in turn.

Diana chuckles at the sight, glancing at her son as she says, "Quite the student you have there, Cyrus."

"The fruits of these results are all hers, mom." He chuckles, looking at her with a smile on his face. "Besides, I'm only copying what I learned from the best teacher I've had." Gwenivere has drawn near, directing his attention. "The Skill is now yours to bend to your will, Gwenivere; I look forward to seeing how strong it can be." She smiles at this, blushing at his praise, though her expression quickly turns forlorn. "What's the matter? I'll still train you if that's what you're worried about; I see no reason for your lessons to cease."

"It's not that, darling. Are you…are you not cross that I more or less abandoned the Magi Skills in favor of Clever Strike?"

He dons a sincere look of confusion as he replies, "The thought never crossed my mind?" She stares at him for a moment, baffled by both his sincerity and the claim he just made. She chuckles at her paranoia, which soon turns into a short laughing fit. "P- Perhaps you need to lie down…you must be overworked."

She calms down enough to give him a dismissive wave. "No, no; you misunderstand. I'm quite alright." His face suggests that he doesn't entirely believe that. "My love, I'm serious. My worries about being inadequate were unfounded, much like they've proven to be in the past." She giggles, taking his hand in hers as she smiles at him. "I suppose you and I have that in common." She glances to the side to see Fae and Hayato walking over; she picks up the former, nuzzling their cheeks together. "You've been a tremendous help, my little angel. What would I ever do without you?"

She giggles. "That tickles." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Now what do we do?"

"A fine question, little one; I'll have to think on it. Let's take a break at the inn."


	33. Where We Used to Be

**Chapter 33: Where We Used to Be**

No longer wishing to tarry on the task of procuring materials from the Headless Hunter, Gwenivere has taken it upon herself to lead a party to the Fetid Necropolis to face the dreaded FOE. En route to a location where there is only a single Headless Hunter to engage, Gwenivere reviews the intended plan with her comrades. Accompanying her are Amy, Valerie, Fae, and Hayato. She looks to Amy at present, asking, "Do you believe we'll be able to get a preemptive strike on this one?"

Pointing at the map, Amy directs everyone's attention to the Headless Hunter's position, which is directly on the other side of the door leading to the center of the 14th floor. "The creature will take notice of our presence for sure, but it won't have enough time to react." She steps through the shortcut first, checking the area to make sure it's secure; she waves her comrades over. "So, we're gonna start off with the use of Wilting Miasma, right?"

Gwenivere nods to this. "Indeed. Valerie should act first, especially if her Miasma Armor triggers. This will give Fae's Dark Bomb a reprieve, since Cyrus informed us of this creature's resistances." Looking to Amy, she follows, "You shall provide me with the Overexertion buff, as well as yourself; Lord Hayato will toss a Bravant to you." She rests a hand on her hip, her usual confident expression easing into something more concerned. "I intend to use Chain Blast after Valerie's Wilting Miasma is in effect, but I'm not certain if it will work as we need it to." She sighs. "Confident though I may be in my ability to use Clever Strike, I feel that, even with the added Fire damage and the…Sleep Bonus, my strength won't be enough on its own. Dear sister, I ask that you play clean up."

"Leave it to me, Gwenny; I'll give 'em a clean punch…wait, doesn't the Conditional Drop require Fire damage? Titan Killer is pure Bash." After a moment of thinking it over, she lightly taps a fist to an open palm as she says, "Oh no, wait. I'll throw a fire-imbued punch after using Heavenly Aid." Looking to Fae, she smiles. "I trust you'll heal me right up, sweetie?"

"Uh huh! You can count on me, Amy!"

Looking to Valerie, Hayato says, "You know…you should use Soul Gather before the fight starts." She smirks at him in return, silently nodding in recognition of his greed. Folding his arms, Hayato closes his eyes as a smile forms on his face. "You understand my plight good and well, young Harbinger. I am honored to have an ally of such a like mind." He extends his hand to her, firmly grasping hers as they both say, "Greed!" in unison.

The party takes a moment to perform one last gear check. Fae needs a moment to work on a single-use bomb filled with the soporific substance used to make the sleep gas Syrik sells at his shop. ' _I only get one shot with this…_ ' Valerie rests a hand on her shoulder, giving a knowing smile that conveys the confidence she feels in the child's abilities. Fae can only nod in turn, her nervous expression shifting to show a greater amount of confidence than before. ' _I can do this._ ' A thought suddenly occurs to her. Looking to Valerie, she speaks up, which catches the attention of her comrades in turn. "Wait, on the round Aunt Gwen hits the FOE with Clever Strike…I can't heal Amy and throw the sleep bomb at the same time." She hands the bomb to Valerie. "You're good with Ailments, too, so I trust you with this."

Accepting the bomb, Valerie nods to her. "I won't let you down."

With the plan in order, the party steps through the door once Valerie triggers the use of Soul Gather; in turn, her Miasma Armor activates on its own, causing her purple eyes to don their glow once more. Much to their joy, the Headless Hunter is slow to react, granting them a preemptive strike. Valerie triggers the use of the Black Mist between herself and everyone in the party except Gwenivere. She snaps her fingers to envelop the target in the Wilting Miasma; thanks to her efforts, Fae's Dark Bomb successfully blinds the target. No one asks how this is possible, even when considering the creature lacks a working pair of eyes to begin with.

The effects of Blaze Prayer then settle onto the party, imbuing their weapons and bolstering their resistance. Gwenivere takes the moment to drink a Bravant while Amy takes a deep breath to apply the effect of Overexertion onto herself. With the creature still attempting to catch its bearings, Gwenivere gathers energy from her comrades to make use of Chain Blast. ' _Please work…_ ' She successfully seals the creature's head and legs, but its arms are still free. ' _Damn it!_ ' Regardless of this failure, the creature spends its opportunity swinging blindly, managing to strike Fae. The child does not succumb to the blow, but she is knocked away.

After drinking the Bravant tossed to her by Valerie, Amy rushes over to Gwenivere and rests a hand on her shoulder to apply the effects of Overexertion, though doing so causes a few cuts to open on her own body. A thin trail of blood flows from her lip, which she wipes away. "This buff kinda takes it out of you; better make that one swing count, sister."

Gwenivere nods as she takes to the front line, staff in hand. Amy takes a moment to pray while Fae tends to her wounds. Hayato's use of Dance Oracle proves to be a bit too slow, causing Gwenivere to lose out on her chance at using the Sleep Bonus. In spite of this, she flips her staff and channels aether into it to conjure the visage of a blazing hammer. She takes a long stride towards the enemy as she motions into a spin; the force of her strike destroys half of the Headless Hunter, but the creature is still standing in spite of the damage it has suffered. "Amy, I leave this to you!" She then falls back to the rear line; "Everyone else needs to defend!"

As the others take their defensive stances, Amy clenches her fists as a red aura overtakes her. She takes a deep breath, easing into her offensive stance as she prepares to strike. She plants a single foot forward, caving in the ground beneath her. Her gaze hardens into an intense focus as she surges her flaming fist forward into the Headless Hunter; her effort seems to yield no results – this is before she pulls back and finally exhales, whereupon the Headless Hunter explodes into pieces. Hayato and Fae's eyes go wide at this. She turns to look at her comrades; a smile is worn upon her face, and a visible trail of steam flows from her hands as she lets them rest at her sides.

"Great work, team; let's pick up our spoils and get out of here." There are only two items to collect, the first of which being an ebon breastplate. Turning the piece of metal over in her grip, she can see that the ebon color is the result of dried blood, which brings a frown to her face. ' _Undoubtedly accumulated over the course of slaughtering explorers._ ' After securing this with the party's belongings, she takes notice of a pauldron that has been charred by her and Gwenivere's assault. ' _This must be the Conditional Drop._ ' She places this among the group's belongings as well, and then departs with her comrades.

When they step into the Twilight Tavern, Mirina greets them with her usual smiling face, though this quickly turns to surprise when the client's requested materials are presented. "When did you all go to get these?"

Fae looks up at the proprietress with a smile as she says, "Just now! It was really easy with Aunt Gwen and Amy out there!"

Gwenivere pats the girl on the head, giggling to herself before offering a correcting response. "Now, now, Fae; you know good and well that my use of Clever Strike would not have been nearly as effective without the assistance of you and the little prince." Looking to Amy, she follows, "And of course, we would have been in a spot of trouble had Amy not been there for clean up." Amy giggles in turn, but says nothing further.

Looking over the items brought back by the Seekers, Mirina eventually lets out a sigh and shakes her head. "Honestly, I can't really see how someone could get this much joy out of collecting armor."

Crossing her arms, Amy looks to her as she says, "As a collector myself, I can understand where the guy might be coming from." Seeing Mirina's expression, she continues, "I don't collect armor or anything like that – I'm an otaku back home, so I dabble in all sorts of merchandise that comes from the far eastern regions of Erdboden."

"What kind of merch?"

"Manga, posters, a few figurines here and there." She smiles. "I even made friends with a nice tailor who got me into cosplaying, so now I can dress up as my favorite characters at social events."

Holding her chin in her hand, Mirina's expression suggests that she is intrigued, but no less confused. "That must be incredibly expensive."

"It is, yes, and was especially so when I got started. Good thing I became a doctor, right?" She chuckles, proudly placing her hands on her hips. "I get to save people, and then my reward is more merch~" She is handed two units of silver ingots. "Ooh, these will be nice for forging later; thanks, Mirina."

"Thank you for another job well done. I'll see you all later."

After exchanging parting words, the Seekers return to Jenetta's Inn. The morning rush seems to have died down, for there are no other explorers to be found in the lobby and Jenetta herself is sitting at a table drinking tea. Amy performs a swift search around the area, searching for a cat to play with, and soon finds Cyrus sleeping on a couch; there are no less than three of Jenetta's cats sleeping on top of him. She points at the sight, giggling to herself as she says, "Aw, it's a reflection of his love life." Valerie and Hayato begin snickering uncontrollably, while Gwenivere can only laugh and admit to the claim.

A minor party change is made after the Seekers take a break. Fiona is offered a chance to explore the secret areas beyond the sealed doors, but to everyone's surprise, she passes on the opportunity. Valerie elects to take a break, freeing a spot for Lissa. The party is now on the first floor; their trek to the sealed door on the southwestern side of this floor is somewhat slow, for the group endeavors to enjoy the locale of the First Stratum, a place they haven't seen in quite some time. Beyond the sealed door is a small area featuring the end point of a stream. The treasure chest here, which Fiona so emphatically tried to pilfer long ago, contains a bottle of Nectar II, which the party pockets for potential future use.

Next up is the sealed door located at the western edge of the third floor. A much larger area awaits beyond this door, prompting Amy to take up her brush once more. The party makes way for north, soon happening upon a raised stone monument whose corresponding statue is nowhere to be seen. A short distance away from this is one of the pillars connected to a rotating statue. Unlike the monument, this pillar's counterpart stands directly across from it. An ascending staircase is also present, which strikes the Seekers as odd. Before interacting with the switches of this new area, they all decide to ascend.

Stepping up into the unexplored region of the fourth floor, the party is met with a large clearing. As Amy works to draw the map of this area, Fae directs everyone's attention to what appears to be a secluded fishing spot just across the pond. "We were there a long time ago, right?" A quick look at the map reveals this room and that fishing spot to be connected, separated only by this small pond that divides the two sections. Fae looks around, but sees nothing. She can't sense any enemies, either. "Is this one of those Boss rooms Uncle was talking about?"

Lissa adopts a contemplative stance at the claim. "It could be, yes. It may not be important to us right now, but let's keep this place in mind for the future." When the party steps back down to the third floor, Fae takes point alongside Amy. The child leads her comrade along the path, bringing attention to the rotating statues and which ones should be triggered first. Lissa observes the sight in the background, looking to Gwenivere as she comments, "The little one seems to take after you."

She chuckles, running a hand through her hair as a haughty huff escapes her. "I am not quite sure what you mean by that, Elizabeth." Once the hour strikes noon, Gwenivere calls for her comrades to take a brief respite. Taking a seat beside Fae on a tree stump, Gwenivere looks to the child to find her studying the map. "Have you taken an interest in cartography, Fae?"

She shakes her head. "Nuh uh. Uncle's not here, so we need someone else to take care of the puzzles."

"Oh? So you wish to be our puzzle solver?"

She looks to Gwenivere with a wide smile on her face. "Yep! I was paying attention back then, so I can do a lot of the stuff he did!" She points to the central area of this secret area, frowning as she does so. "We need to find the statues that get rid of these walls." Handing the map back to Amy, she hops from her seat so that she may resume exploring; the others follow suit, quickly assuming their formation once again. Another staircase is discovered shortly after the respite concludes. "Huh…this one goes to the fourth floor, too." She looks to Lissa and asks, "Are there gonna be two bosses on the same floor?"

"Oh, I hope not." Looking across the river from her present location, she spots another set of stairs. "We don't have much of a choice with this one."

Crossing his arms, Hayato nods in agreement. "This staircase will likely lead us to that one, allowing a means of crossing the river, albeit a roundabout one." He is the first to reach the top of the staircase, and nearly falls into a pond. He is pulled back by Fae, whose arms hold him in a protective grip even now. Hayato sighs at this, though a smile is on his face. "Yes, thank you, Fae."

She releases him, even taking a moment to ease out his robes. "You should be more careful, Prince." She balls her hands into fists before bringing them closer to her chest. "You can't swim, remember?" He blushes at the notion, scratching his cheek as he looks away from her and chuckles. Fae puffs out her cheek at this, not exactly enthused by whatever he may find humorous. She grabs his hand so that she may pull him along. "I'll keep you safe; just stay close to me."

"Fae, that's really not necess- whoa!" He is cut off as she continues to pull him along without delay. There is no room for argument, so Hayato quickly resigns to his fate. The party spends another hour combing the northern end of this new section, soon coming across a small path in B3. "This should lead to a dead end, right?" It instead leads to a staircase that sends the party back down to the third floor. "Huh." Glancing at the map, he says, "This should allow us to remove that stone wall in A2." His claim is true. With this stone wall now lowered, the party backtracks to explore the remainder of the fourth floor.

Though another staircase leading back to the third floor is located, the party is still left wondering how it may access the clearing beyond the lake that bars them. Assuming there is yet another staircase to be found on the third floor, they put the notion in the back of their minds. As they draw near the statue that will lower the final wall barring their path, this assumption moves ever closer to becoming fact. The sun has just finished setting, bringing a cool crisp breeze to the Tutelary Forest. The party elects to return to the ascending staircase located in A6 now that all of the proper pieces are in place. All of the statues that they have rotated thus far are reset as a result of this action.

A confident grin is on Fae's expression as she takes the lead alongside Amy. She lets slip a malicious chuckle, which brings everyone's attention to her. "It's simple – we just work our way through the puzzle backwards!" Pointing at the western portion of the floor, she points out the inconvenience once presented by the first two statues. "Once these are turned around, we can't go back without resetting the whole puzzle." Her grin sinks into something even more malicious. "Now we don't have to." She looks to her comrades, who all take a step back upon seeing her expression. "Follow me. I'm going somewhere with this."

Lissa looks to Gwenivere and says, "I rescind that previous remark; she definitely takes after our beloved." Gwenivere can only nod in turn.

First, the statue in B5 is rotated; the pillar that rises as a result of this is inconsequential for the moment, but the pillar that falls allows the party to make its way back to B3, where the next statue is switched. This grants the party access to a second switch located at the bottom-right edge of B3, which lowers the pillar blocking the way of progress. As the party takes its leave, the statue on the left-most edge of B3 is returned to its original position. The final statue to rotate is the very one they started with back in B5. With this rotation, the bottom two pillars are lowered, granting the party access to the last stretch of land that has yet to be charted.

A staircase ascending to the fourth floor awaits at the end, which brings smiles to the faces of the Seekers. Fae proudly rests her hands on her hips, though she quickly brings one up to cover her mouth as she lets out a laugh that sounds quite similar to Gwenivere's. Amy and Lissa turn to Gwenivere, donning catty smiles but saying nothing. Gwenivere can only chuckle at the sight. She crouches down to pat Fae on the head, smiling as she says, "That was excellent work, Fae; I'm proud of you." She grabs hold of the child's hand as she leads her towards the stairs. "Now then, let us see what our reward for this gauntlet might be."

Stepping up to this final area of the fourth floor, the party is met with two treasure chests. Inside the left chest is a bottle of Nectar II. In the chest on the right is some sort of magical orb. Taking this orb into her grip, Amy takes a step back and feels a tiny boost in power. ' _Huh? What was that?_ ' She takes a few more steps, feeling this boost each time. She looks to her comrades and asks, "Do you guys feel that?" Everyone nods, prompting her to look at the orb. "This orb might actually be the cause. It must be some sort of device used to facilitate training." She stores it with the party's belongings, smiling as she nods to herself. As she pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread, she says, "We can figure out how we'll use this later." She yawns, taking a moment to stretch as she looks up at the night sky. "It's already midnight…let's get to bed."

When breakfast is served the following morning, the Seekers find themselves dining with the collective of Freeblade and the Nomads. Curiously, Cyrus, Valerie, and Diana are absent; when Jenetta is asked about their whereabouts, she places a finger to her chin, looking towards the ceiling as she says, "Um…Diana wanted to go out for a late-night jaunt through Yggdrasil, and took those two with her. She said the trip might last all night, so I'm not worried." The expressions worn by Amy and Gwenivere suggest that letting the trio wander off in such a manner might have been a bad idea. "Was that bad?" Before she can get her answer, the trio in question steps into the dining room. Jenetta's ears perk up at this as her usual smile returns. "Oh, welcome back~"

Valerie rests upon Cyrus' back, though the man doesn't look to be in a state appropriate for carrying another. Diana, in contrast, looks perfectly fine, though her skin is looking more pale than usual. After a yawn escapes him, Cyrus looks to everyone at the table and says, "Mornin', everyone; sorry if we made any of you worry."

Evelyn frowns at him, pointing her chopsticks in his general direction as she asks, "What were you thinking? Have you forgotten your previous exhaustion?"

Stepping to Cyrus' side, Diana allows a small smile to trace on her lips. "Please, Evelyn, your ire should be directed at me, for I am the one who dragged my son out there in spite of his condition." Evelyn's expression retains its displeased countenance, but she mixes it with expectancy. "I was in need of a test subject for one of my Skills."

An awkward smile forms on Amy's face as she says, "This can't be good."

Diana rests her hands on her hips in protest. "Hmph, the nerve! I'll have you know my breakthrough proved to be quite effective…though I admit that I need to work on its consistency."

Gwenivere asks, "So what was this about?"

"I wished to eliminate the Sonar Worms located on the 17th floor so that our little Fae could sleep easier at night." Fae adopts a confused expression in response, but says nothing. "Spirit Brokers gain access to a Skill known as 'Zombie Powder' down the line, which is supposed to instantly slay a target and immediately turn it into a usable Wraith." Everyone at the table reels at the notion.

"Valerie was there to help accumulate additional experience with Soul Gather; I was the tank." He yawns again. "Their primary method of attack makes them fairly easy to slay for the Chain Squad. Should there be more on the higher floors, we should approach them with that party in mind." Looking to Fae, he follows, "You can tag out if you don't want to engage that creature, Fae."

She shakes her head to this. "No! I'm no chicken!" Cyrus chuckles at this, only eliciting an angered expression from the child. "It's not funny, Uncle!" She puffs her cheeks out at him, making sure he gets a good look at her irate expression before she turns away in a huff. When Cyrus offers an apology, she refuses to face him, though her expression does ease somewhat. "If you learned your lesson…I guess I can forgive you."

"You're too kind, little angel." He looks around, quickly noting that Fiona is not present. Directing his attention to Jenetta, he asks, "Have you seen Fiona this morning?"

"She ate breakfast earlier, and then she went back to one of the rooms rented out by you guys to service her gear." Gwenivere offers confirmation, stating that Fiona should still be up there.

Nodding to this, Cyrus says, "Alright, thanks." He takes his leave, first laying Valerie down to rest in a proper bed before seeking out Fiona. He knocks on the door to the room where he is expecting her, soon being granted entry. Stepping inside, he is greeted with the sight of his comrade polishing her boots. "I think you service your gear more than I do."

"I'd say we're equally attentive in that regard, friend." She looks up to him, taking note of a new sword resting at his left hip. "Forged a new blade? May I see it?" He nods to her as the new sword is unsheathed before her. Its blade, thin in its composition, is comprised of some sort of light blue ore, occasionally shimmering as Cyrus adjusts his grip on the hilt. The slightest bit of movement causes the weapon to leave a faint blue trail along the air. "Such a beautiful craft." He sheathes this sword before removing its scabbard from his waist; he then hands it over to Fiona. She removes the blade from its confines to take a closer look at it, quickly realizing that, "It's lighter than I expected."

"I made this rapier for you, Fiona; its blade is comprised of Tremor Needles procured from the Sonar Worms of the 17th floor." She looks to him, finding a soft smile on his face. "I wanted to repay the kindness you showed me a few days back." His smile disappears as a guilt-laden expression overtakes his features. "I know too well how often I forget about how much you all care for me."

She rises from her seat on the bed to step over to him, setting the new sword onto the bed as she does so. "I at least owed you that much, Cyrus; I still haven't properly thanked you for that day we met in Armoroad." Thinking back on that day, on the circumstances she was facing at the time, Fiona's expression becomes pained, her eyes shifting to convey momentary fear. "I was in a dark place back then." She wraps her arms around herself, trembling as she follows, "There's really no telling what I might have done to myself after leaving the Butterfly Bistro if you hadn't talked to me."

"You don't need to thank me for that, Fiona. I saw myself in your expression back then, and just couldn't ignore you." She stares at him for a moment, though her expression tells him nothing substantial. "What's the matter? If you wish to talk about it, I am free…and it's just the two of us."

"When we clear the 6th Stratum, are you going back to Erdboden?"

"Yes, but I don't think we'll head back straight away. I kind of want to visit Lagaard to meet Lissa's family. It'd be nice to see Leon and Eva, too." He smirks as he asks, "Did you want to travel together or something?"

She smiles, though she shakes her head in reply. "Not quite. I was hoping you'd take me home with you." She watches as his smirk slowly fades to make way for a surprised expression. She giggles at the sight, soon laughing outright. "What's with that look?"

"After all you and Lissa have said about Erdboden? You're really asking that?"

"It's true that I think you'd be better off staying in this world, but I still have a desire to see it." Stepping a bit closer, she wraps her arms around her comrade, pulling him closer so that she may rest her head on his chest. "I want to see it for myself – the world that made you as you are; the world you fought to save despite how horribly it treated you." She lingers on this note for a moment, expecting Cyrus to make some sort of reply. It never arrives, prompting her to break the silence. "After all this time, I think I'm ready to make a decision. Our start was as rocky as they come, but my feelings aren't mistaken." She lifts her head, looking him in the eyes as she says, "To brave life's hardships at your side; that is my wish." To her surprise, he pulls her closer, pressing his arm against her back. "You're…not gonna turn me down?" She is met with silence as a reply. "No attempts to push me away?"

"I want this too, Fiona. I fear a universal machination that I can't explain, but I know that having you in my life brings me joy. I'm not willing to take risks with this, but I don't want to live in fear forever." He falters for a moment, his body shaking. Fiona makes an effort to soothe him, though her results are marginal. "We'll work together…I'm sure we can all work something out through this mess." He pulls away from their shared embrace to look Fiona in the eyes. His gaze is resolute, though his eyes betray that resolve with hints of both fear and suppressed anger. "No matter what happens, I'll keep you safe."

"Cyrus, this is exactly what we're trying to move past." Though there is a desire to chastise him further, she can only adopt a soft smile before placing a fleeting kiss upon his lips. "I'll see you through your struggles; you need not suffer in silence anymore. I promise to take that pain away." His voice is barely a whisper as he thanks her, which elicits a chuckle. "Hush now; there's no need for that." As she gets comfortable in their shared embrace, she glances to the side to find Fae staring up at her with a smile on her face. A moment of silence passes as Fiona comes to realize this; when the notion fully settles, she lets out a yelp of surprise and motions behind Cyrus. "Fae?! How long have you been there?!"

"Huh? I just got here; I showed up when Uncle said he'd always protect you." She giggles, pointing at Fiona as she says, "You looked really happy when he said that, too." Seeing the reddened cheeks of her comrade, she tilts her head as she asks, "Are you OK, Fi-Fi?"

"Y- Yes, I'm fine." She sighs as she steps away from Cyrus. Looking to the Guild's leader, she crosses her arms as she asks, "What's the plan for today?"

"You should be asking Lissa; I was up all night hunting Sonar Worms, so I'm getting some rest." Fiona raises an eyebrow to this, though it's not in response to his uncharacteristic decision to entertain a voluntary respite. "My mom sprung the idea up out of nowhere. Valerie is sleeping off the effort right now, actually. I should be sleeping right along with her, but…" He smiles at Fiona, though it isn't in his usual jest. "This took precedence." She blushes at this, which causes him and Fae to chuckle. "I could get used to this sight."

"Hey, Uncle? We found something cool on the fourth floor last night. Can I show it to you when you wake up?"

"Sure thing, little angel. Can I have a hint?"

"Nuh uh; you have to be good and wait."

"Aw, that's a shame, but if those are your terms, I will abide."


	34. Playing with Portals

**Chapter 34: Playing with Portals**

Rather than proceed to the Jagged Reach to explore what lies beyond its sealed doors, the Seekers return to the Lucent Hollows, intent on making progress with the 18th floor. Lissa leads a team composed of herself, Amy, Fae, Gwenivere, and Hayato. Directly across the staircase that leads back down to the 17th floor is a door, which the party proceeds through. To the north is a large crystal that needs to be destroyed, but more importantly, a new FOE stands at a corner far across from the door. The creature is a large two-headed dog; its body is crimson, though each head sports its own color – one is white while the other is black. Its aggression is immediately made apparent, bringing the party to a halt.

Pointing at it, Fae looks to Hayato as she asks, "Is that Orthrus?"

"I think so? Pretty sure this isn't supposed to be a species, though."

While the two ponder this, they are picked up by Amy and Lissa, respectively, before the party leaves the room the way they entered. Instead of engaging this new FOE, they proceed down the only other path available from the starting line of the floor. The party arrives at a dead end tucked away in a corner to the south; here, they encounter a new enemy. At the fore of the enemy formation is a pair of Sword Saurians, which elicits a loud groan from Hayato. Occupying the rear line is a giant green turkey. The Monstrous Codex refers to it as the "Tantrum Turkey", which doesn't strike anyone as pleasant.

Lissa starts the encounter with the use of Counter Guard, enveloping Amy and herself in a protective aura. Fae's Numbing Bomb fails to paralyze either creature, and to make matters worse, one of the Saurians manages to strike the party before Hayato can trigger the effects of the Aegis Prayer. In striking Amy, however, the Sword Saurian faces immediate retaliation as the woman whips her fist out of reflex; its shield is obliterated as a result, instilling incentive to fall back. The turkey reveals its purpose as all combatants seem to enter a standby – it buffs the offensive capabilities of itself and its allies through some sort of spell cast from its wings.

Seeing this, Gwenivere casts Amplifier. ' _With our speed still being inconsistent, using Lightning might be the superior option._ '

Hayato puts his hands together, taking a knee as he engages in a prayer. ' _Ancient spirits, grant Fae the speed she needs to protect her friends._ ' As he does this, Amy charges in to deliver a punch in the form of Titan Killer. Her physical condition notably declines as the punch is prepped, though this has the effect of bringing her low enough to trigger Fortitude. Her target, one of the Saurians, is sent crashing through a large rock; not only does the creature perish from the damage, it also destroys the rock. The remaining Saurian looks back in surprise, but this proves to be its folly, for in doing so, it has no time to react to Fae's swift approach.

She is now in front of the creature, bomb in hand and a resolute expression on her face. She lets out a battle cry as she forcibly jams the bomb into the mouth of her opponent and pulls the pin. She kicks away from the creature, flipping through the air before landing at Gwenivere's side. Her back is turned as the bomb explodes, turning the Saurian to stone. Fae strikes a pose, adjusting her Sapling Hat as she says, "Owari da." The battle is ended swiftly afterward, for the turkey is left with no means of defending itself. She rushes over to Amy to heal her wounds. "I don't think you should use that buff anymore…"

"This is all part of the plan, Fae."

"Uncle says the same thing, and I don't like that, either…"

Before the conversation can continue any further, the party's attention is brought to a soldier approaching them. His shoulders are drooped, his expression forlorn. He looks to the party as he sits upon a rock, letting out a sigh of relief at their presence. "I was worried a group of monsters were on the way, but I guess you lot handled them. Thanks." After the party members introduce themselves, the man's expression brightens, albeit slightly. "So you're the Seekers! Your deeds are famous. Heck, it's thanks to you I even made it here!"

Fae asks, "Are you here to find ore, mister?"

"I am, yes, but the monsters up here are tougher than diamonds. There's a weird shining pillar up ahead that I didn't wanna touch, so here I am." He picks up the pickaxe that he had set to the side, sighing as he does so. His forlorn expression returns as he gazes to the ore deposits in the distance. "I'm scared out of mind being here, but I have to keep going, even if it kills me."

Folding her arms, Gwenivere asks, "What's your reason? Are you perhaps in debt?"

The man shakes his head to this. "Not quite, miss. You see, my son is sick, and his medicine is expensive." Amy can feel her heart being crushed by the notion, which she makes evident as her countenance turns pale and she clutches at her chest. "I guess you know what that's like, young lady?"

"My brother-in-law was dealt a similar hand when he was young…he almost didn't make it. Medicine didn't work; his father, though a talented doctor who had saved countless others from their suffering…couldn't do anything for him. It took an actual miracle – divine intervention – to grant him salvation." She falls silent for a moment, her saddened gaze shifting to look upon the cold ground. "That came at a price, too." She steps over to the guard, placing a Draconic Shard in his hand. Though he tries to speak, likely in an effort to reject this offer, Amy gently closes his hand around the shard, shaking her head as she does so. "You need this far more than we do."

The guard is unable to hold back the tears that freely stream from beneath his helmet. A smile, warm and sincere, traces upon his lips as he thanks the Seekers for this act of kindness. He departs from the Labyrinth shortly after, leaving the Seekers with no further business at this dead end. The group sets off, intent on continuing their exploration. While departing from this area, Fae looks to Hayato as the thought of the previous battle returns to her. "Prince? What was that prayer you were doing before?"

"It's a Skill known as 'Heaven's Gift'. By dispelling a buff or debuff on an ally of my choice, I can grant that ally a boost in action speed."

Her face lights up at this; bringing her fists to her chest, she smiles at Hayato as she says, "That's what let me do that cool move on the lizard? Thank you, Prince!"

He chuckles at this, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "You're giving me too much credit." The end of the current path leads to a Take Point, though the group elects to leave this be for the moment. "Hm, that means we have no choice but to deal with that Orthrus." He returns to the FOE's den with his comrades, quickly making way to destroy the giant crystal barring their path. In doing so, they are granted a means of running the creature around a column of ore, granting them safe passage through the door awaiting at the eastern end of this room. Hayato sighs in relief, shaking his head as he looks to the now closed door behind him. "At least it's not as creepy as the Sonar Worm."

As the party steps through the next door, they are greeted by the howl of another two-headed dog, though this one is not in immediate sight. Amy looks to the map to find that its current location is a short ways off, lying beyond the crystal that they must shatter. After taking a few steps to survey the landscape, she comes to realize something. "The dog isn't moving; I guess they only pursue us when we're in their line of sight." This is immediately proven to be false once the crystal is destroyed. "Huh? Oh crap! Retreat!" Once back in the clearing, she catches her breath. "Geez, what the Hell?!"

Lissa sighs at this. "That was a scare I did not need." She takes in a deep breath and exhales, gathering her bearings before saying, "There's another crystal that we have to break; I suggest we take one swing, leave the area, fully break it, and then make one last retreat before going for the full sprint."

Gwenivere nods as she says, "I am in favor of this. We have no idea what lies beyond that second crystal, after all." When the party makes an effort to enact this plan, they discover a horrible truth. "Wait, this isn't the path Amy drew!"

"I screwed up the map! Crap!" The column the party intended to run this creature around sports a wider berth than was mapped, meaning the crystal they're meant to shatter is actually blocking the way instead of being an outlier component of the circuit. They are effectively cornered as the Orthrus draws near. Amy grabs hold of the Ariadne Thread and warps the party out of the Labyrinth. She bows to her allies, her voice loud and flustered as she says, "I'm so sorry!"

Lissa shakes her head to this. "Every cartographer makes a mistake at least once, Amy; Cyrus and I are guilty of this." Feeling a tug at her leg, she looks down to see Fae. "What's the matter?"

"I just had an idea; can we go find Uncle Cyrus?" Lissa nods to her, prompting the child to take her by the hand and lead the party towards Jenetta's Inn. The man in question is found resting on a bench, reading a book as Fiona rests her head on his shoulder. "There he is."

Fiona lifts her head to the sound of the many approaching footsteps; as her eyes open, she finds that Gwenivere and Lissa are looking down at her, arms crossed as they wear questionable grins on their faces. The former takes a moment to speak. "Taking advantage of our absence, I see; how pragmatic of you."

"Huh?" She yawns, still not fully awake. She returns her head to Cyrus' shoulder, though she does not return to her slumber. This act causes Gwenivere's eyebrow to twitch. "We talked about this, right?" Lazily pointing at Gwenivere, she follows, "You even welcomed me with a crushing hug; you looked happier to have me join than anyone else." Gwenivere's eyebrow twitches again. "Am I wrong?"

Gwenivere closes her eyes, looking to Cyrus as she says, "Darling. This irritation I feel…is this what you experience whenever Amy engages in stealth condescension?"

"Probably. Why do you ask?"

"It's bloody awful! I hate being wrong!"

Amy pushes her fingers together, blushing as she mutters, "I don't do that on purpose…"

Fae steps over to Cyrus, smiling at him as she places her hands behind her back. "Uncle? Is my scythe ready yet?" Everyone else in the party widens their eyes at the notion. Their expressions amplify this surprise further as Cyrus nods to the girl and snaps his fingers to conjure a portal of darkness. From it, he pulls a scythe scaled down to be properly wielded by Fae; curiously, it's an exact replica of the one Valerie currently wields. Fae takes this weapon into her grip, not at all hesitant as she studies the craft. Running her finger along the base of the blade, she smiles as she says, "Ooh, you got the blade just right, too." She directs her smile at Cyrus as she says, "You're really good at this, Uncle; thanks!"

Gesturing emphatically, Lissa directs her attention to Cyrus. "Honey! Cyrus Coelistis! What in the Seven Hells are you thinking?! You can't give a child a scythe!" She then watches as Fae turns to face her, deftly twirling the scythe around her small form with no visible effort. The gesture is concluded as Fae casually rests the scythe on her right shoulder and giggles. "By the gods…"

"It's OK, Aunt Lissa; all Botanists are taught how to use scythes. My Mommy taught me everything she knows. I can gather plants and fight monsters with this!" She nods, as if in affirmation; "Even better, this scythe is luckier than the bow I was using."

Pointing at the scythe, Hayato asks, "She didn't think a sword would be better for self-defense?"

Tilting her head at this, Fae replies, "She thought about it, but said the scythe would be better in the long run." She then giggles, though Hayato isn't sure why. "She said I'd have an easier time getting a boyfriend when I get bigger if I have a scythe." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "Uncle agrees with her, so it has to be true." Everyone shoots a blank stare at him, though Fae is oblivious to this. After bidding Cyrus and Fiona farewell, the group returns to the Lucent Hollows. Having arrived at the secluded clearing just before their stopping point, Fae looks to her comrades and asks, "So we still have to break both crystals, right?"

Amy nods to this. "Yeah, that's right; we just have to break the one that's further in first." Leading the Orthrus around proves to be simple, granting the Seekers passage beyond this stretch of the floor. Through the next door lies a narrow passage that branches off to a section of land from which Forest Wheat grows in abundance. The party elects to leaves these bundles be in favor of progressing. Up ahead is a crystal that is both taller and brighter than the clusters the Guild has been destroying thus far. Gazing at the structure, Amy says, "This one looks like it'll be much tougher than the other crystals we've been breaking. This is probably the warp crystal we heard about."

After the rest of this closed off area is mapped out, Fae realizes that, "This is a dead end." Amy nods before leading everyone to the northern end of the room. In doing so, the crystal takes on a glow before splitting apart and engulfing the Seekers in a burst of light. When the light clears, they are in a new location in B3. "T- That was weird." Amy offers a brief and simple explanation of the crystal's function, which Fae seems to understand. "That doesn't sound too bad…it might get complicated later on, though." She frowns. "We probably have to use these in a puzzle for the Stratum Boss."

Everyone else shudders at the notion, soon putting the idea to rest as they continue forward. As they navigate the corridor lined with shimmering crystals, they hear the faintest echo just ahead. The echo is determined to be the reverberating voice of a person; the Seekers follow the echo to its source, revealing itself to belong to the same girl the party encountered on the previous floor. Unlike the previous encounter, she does not disappear, instead looking to the party to properly address them. Her voice is somewhat cold and detached; her crystalline gaze is as piercing as it is studious.

"Mortals who dare climb the fabled Yggdrasil…are you mere wanderers, lost in the Labyrinth, or true explorers in pursuit of its legends?"

Lissa crosses her arms at the notion, meeting the girl's gaze with her own. "We are veterans, young lady; our Guild has conquered four Yggdrasil Labyrinths before this one; Iorys is next on the docket, though I doubt it'll be the last." She chuckles at the thought, not sure what sort of Labyrinth she may get to explore in the future. "That will be an adventure to look forward to, truly."

The girl dons a surprised expression upon hearing Lissa's determination, smiling gently at her claims. "Such confidence! Perhaps your claims hold true, but I must warn you all the same." The party's attention is caught by this, prompting her to speak further. "Further ahead is the lair of a Crystal Dragon. Should you wish to prepare first, there is a passageway south of here." She looks about the party, her gaze falling on Amy and Lissa in particular. "I…can sense great power from you two. What sort of dangers have you conquered, I wonder." When the two mutter about 'pesky elemental dragons', the girl forces back a giggle. "Curious indeed." She then disappears again, leaving the Seekers with only their thoughts.

Lissa shrugs. "At least she's willing to give us the time of day; Kupala was quite antagonistic at the start." She adopts a contemplative stance, her brow furrowed as she thinks. "We need to inform Prince Ramus of this dragon. Let us find that shortcut and depart." As they make their way to the supposed shortcut, they are beset by a new Enemy Set. A Sword Saurian stands at the side of a fellow Saurian, though this creature's color scheme is blue and pink; it also wields a lance instead of a sword. It lacks a shield, and its armor is distinctly eastern in its design. Lissa preemptively deploys a bunker, and unleashes a draconic roar to garner the enemy's attention.

Amy takes up a defensive stance while Lissa establishes a Counter Guard. Fae triggers the use of Guard Order between herself and Hayato before taking hold of a Numbing Bomb. Her bomb explodes, paralyzing the Sword Saurian but not the lancer. Much to her relief, the lancer takes a stab at Lissa's bunker; its eyes shade into a glare as it realizes the defensive implement is sturdier than it realized. Hayato triggers the effects of the Aegis Prayer while Gwenivere uses Amplifier.

Knowing that this battle will be the last before the party departs, Gwenivere rushes forward to the front line, triggering a Union Skill on her own that imbues her allies' weapons with all three elements. ' _I don't actually need the Elemental Prayers for this._ ' Recognizing the same notion, Hayato motions into another prayer to grant Fae the speed she needs to use Smokestone, which successfully petrifies the Sword Saurian. Gwenivere swings her staff at the Lance Saurian, slaying it instantly. She performs the same to the Sword Saurian, but only after Hayato establishes the effects of Bolt Prayer onto her weapon. When the battle concludes, she looks to him with a smile on her face. "I thank you, little prince."

He bows in reply, chuckling as he says, "It was my pleasure." Another warp crystal is up ahead, but the party leaves it be in favor of committing to the task of unlocking the shortcut and leaving the Labyrinth. Upon stepping into Ramus' office, Hayato holds up a hand in greeting. "Good day, your Highness."

"To you as well, Prince Hayato. What brings you and the Seekers here today?"

"We have some news to relay. While exploring the Lucent Hollows, we've encountered a lone girl roaming the crystalline caverns." Ramus raises an eyebrow to this, his countenance shifting to show concern. "She didn't look to be in dire straits, nor was she armed for mining." He crosses his arms, adopting a contemplative stance as he follows, "She also seems to have the ability to teleport, as well as knowledge concerning the depths of the Stratum. She is the one who warned us of the existence of a living Crystal Dragon, which is the other reason we're here."

"To think that she would know more about the Stratum's depths than we do. Did she have the look of an explorer?" Hayato shakes his head to this. "All the more curious, then." He shakes his head, momentarily purging the thought from his mind. "Nothing for it; we must focus on the matter at hand. I have a task for you all." The party looks to him with expectant smiles, to which he involuntarily chuckles. "I ask that you look into investigating this mysterious girl, as well as the Crystal Dragon she spoke of. I have faith in your abilities, but please refrain from doing anything reckless."

With this matter concluded, the party promptly returns to the Lucent Hollows to resume their exploration. The Seekers proceed through the shortcut they unlocked to investigate the warp crystal they previously neglected. Strangely, regardless of how this crystal is approached, it does not activate. Amy rests her hands on her hips, looking the crystal up and down. "That's weird…maybe it doesn't have a paired crystal so it's dormant?" She shrugs off the idea in favor of continuing on with her allies. Soon, she and the others reach a large clearing with a warp crystal resting at its center. Melissa is here as well, and looks to be distressed. Raising a hand, Amy greets her.

"Oh, hey there, Amy. So uh…there are a lot of these new crystals up ahead; I kinda got separated from Stacy and Evelyn." She looks to the crystal again, shading her eyes into a leer. "We've been at this for awhile now; I think there's a pattern to this, but puzzles were never my thing…" She hands over a bag containing fresh ingredients for cooking. "I'm gonna sit here and wait for the others to show; I have plenty of food to run with, so don't worry about me." Her countenance shifts to show concern, her eyes putting an unspoken worry on full display. "Could you…maybe keep an eye out for those two?"

Amy pats her on the shoulder, her smile sincere and wide as she says, "No problem, girl; just leave it to us." She and her party then proceed towards the crystal, accidentally stepping a bit too close, causing its warp to trigger. When they regain their vision, the Seekers find themselves on the far western edge of the floor. Amy looks around before drawing the map. "OK, so we need to exercise caution with these crystals; they'll warp you even if you're not facing them – they're entirely proximity-based." Another crystal is to the south, with a treasure chest not too far beyond it, but Amy quickly calls for a halt.

Looking to her, Fae asks, "What's wrong, Aunt Amy?"

Amy crouches down to allow Fae a better look at the map; in turn, she beckons the rest of the party to huddle up. Directing their attention to the warp crystal near the floor's entrance, she says, "This crystal didn't warp us anywhere, and I've figured out why." Pointing to the crystal just around the corner, she says, "These crystals are like portals; if you approach one from the right side, you end up on the right side of whatever crystal it is connected to. But, if there's no crystal establishing the link, nothing happens."

After taking a moment to think on this, Lissa's eyes widen. "Oh, so if we were to step into this next crystal's range, it would take us all the way back to the crystal near the stairs?" Amy nods. "That would have been infuriating." She looks around to find a branching path of this cavern that leads southward. "This path may wrap around to the treasure chest; let's go." Her face contorts to show an incredibly displeased expression when this proves to not be the case, for the path quickly ends at the second Take Point of the floor. She turns around, finding that a Sword Saurian, Lance Saurian, and Fire Cryst have approached the party. She deploys a bunker preemptively, retaining her expression all the while. "Seekers, to arms."

The battle concludes without incident; Fae looks quite pleased with herself, as she was able to test a new type of bomb in practical combat. She giggles to herself as she turns to face Gwenivere. "Did you see me, Aunt Gwen? My new Smokeflash really worked on the lancer~"

Gwenivere nods to this, patting the child on the head. "Indeed it did, sweetie, and you prepped it so quickly, too."

Lissa chuckles at this. "You're really good at reading the situation, Fae; things are much safer with you around."

She blushes at this praise, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment before swaying in place. "Aw, thanks, Aunt Lissa, but I can't tank hits like you can. That Fire Cryst kept spitting fire at you and you just didn't care."

"It hurt, don't get me wrong, but I've dealt with worse." She glances at Hayato, a smile forming as she says, "Dispelling Dragon's Roar to heal me and make our bunker the primary target was pretty smart, Prince Hayato."

"W- Well, I couldn't just let you take those hits like that…so what's next? We can't reach that treasure chest from here."

"Ugh, don't remind me. It's possible that we were meant to use the crystal back in C2 to warp somewhere else further south."

Amy says, "We won't be able to go back, though; not unless we use the crystal we're deliberately avoiding. Let's move forward and see what else is here." There are two points of interest, with the first of which being another warp crystal. "Hm, it wouldn't make sense for this one to lead nowhere; let's check the other path first." This side passage leads in quite a distance before stopping at a dead end. At this dead end, the party catches sight of a bench comprised of crystal, one that can easily fit all five of them. She looks to her comrades and asks, "Anyone need a breather?" Fae takes hold of her hand to lead her away from this place.

"That is way too sketch, Aunt Amy." Pointing at the crystalline bench, she follows, "It's so sketch I can still see the shade work." The crystal that was just passed up proves to be inactive. "What? So we're supposed to use the other crystal near the treasure chest?" She looks to Lissa, whose expression, though calm, seems to emanate visible fury. "Um…A- Aunt Lissa? The air around you looks really hot…are you OK?"

Gwenivere takes a look at Lissa, noting that Fae's remark is spot on. ' _That is definitely amiss._ ' She steps over and grabs hold of Lissa's hand. "Let us get moving, love. Would you perhaps like to take a break at the Inn?"

"No, no…I'm good. It's just- I realize why this crystal doesn't lead anywhere; it's another drop-off point for the crystal in C2."

Amy takes a look at the map's dimensions, soon realizing that, "Well I'll be damned…she's right. That means there are only two ways for us to progress. Either we approach the crystal in C2 from the left, or we approach the crystal near the treasure chest from the bottom." She furls the map before returning it among the Guild's essentials. "Since we have to get that chest anyway, we might as well test that crystal first." The hour strikes 5PM as the party pilfers the contents of the treasure chest, which are revealed to be a silver ingot. After pocketing this, the party approaches the crystal – nothing happens. "C2 it is, then."

Upon approaching the central crystal from the left side, the party is warped to a new portion of the floor. Here, they find Stacy and Evelyn, who are quite surprised to see them. Evelyn steps forward. "Greetings, Seekers; you haven't seen Melissa by chance…have you?"

Fae nods to this. "She's waiting at the crystal in C2." She looks around to find that the crystal the party warped to has two additional sides to test. She tosses two bombs, without pulling the pins, to test them, but nothing happens. Studying the map in Amy's hands, she follows, "I guess it makes sense that going from the top wouldn't go anywhere, huh?" She looks to the Nomad duo. "I think you have to warp out of here if you want to get back to Melissa; she said she's going to wait for you both…" The two nod to this notion, wordlessly pulling an Ariadne Thread from their belongings to warp out of Yggdrasil. Their promise fulfilled, the Seekers resume their travels.

A crystal is up ahead; due to its placement and the fact that it's the only crystal here, the party arrives at the conclusion that approaching it from the right will warp them to the western edge of the floor. Before testing this, they proceed down another path that leads to a dead end. Here, some rays of refracted light shine upon rare species of plant life. Curiously, a patch of plump berries is growing outward from between cracks in the crystalline ground. Lissa snickers at the sight, her face suggesting that she is recalling a humorous memory. Gwenivere asks, "Is there something that amuses you, Elizabeth?"

"I was just thinking back to something that happened in Etria's 5th Stratum. I wasn't with the exploration party, but Cyrus and Alex told me about this crystal apple they found. Our friend Mitsuki offered to be the one to test if the apple was dangerous – it was apparently delicious, and she didn't save any of it for the others." Fae laughs at this, remarking that Mitsuki must have been quite the savage; the notion causes Lissa to burst into laughter. "I can't deny that!"

Looking to the berries, Gwenivere says, "They look harmless enough…" Amy shakes her head to this, grabbing hold of Gwenivere's hand to lead her away from this place. "Dear sister, whatever is the matter?" This inquiry goes unanswered in favor of using the crystal to warp further into the cavern complex. The crystal at which the Seekers are dropped off boasts one additional point from which the party may approach it, but Gwenivere points out that, "This will lead us to the top side of that crystal in C1 – it would be a waste of time to test it."

The party is beset by a trio of enemies. A Mole King and Lance Saurian occupy the front row while another Fire Cryst hangs in the back. The Mole King is easily dealt with, but the Saurian proves to be a competent threat when it combines forces with the Fire Cryst. It spins its lance in order to further spread the flames of the sentient crystal; though Hayato dispels Lissa's use of Dragon Roar to make the bunker a more favorable target, she succumbs to the flames and loses consciousness. When the Lance Saurian prepares to perform this Windmill maneuver once more, Fae puts an immediate stop to it by tossing a flash bomb to stun it.

Her efforts buy the party enough time to chip away at the Fire Cryst, which fails to act at all since it was apparently awaiting the Saurian's signal. Triggering the use of a Union Skill between herself and Hayato, Amy sees this as an opportunity to finish the fight. "Prince, revive Lissa!" Fae tosses another flash bomb, stunning the Saurian once more and robbing the opposition of yet another combination attack. The Cryst is obliterated by a bolt of lightning cast by Gwenivere, while the Saurian is treated to Amy slamming her fist into its gut. She pulls back, allowing the creature to stagger backwards. "Oh, ya got a little fight in you? I like that." She then punches it in the chest, causing its heart to burst. Fae and Hayato reel back as the faint explosion rings through the immediate enclosure. "Lissa, are you OK?"

"Y- yeah. Thanks." She picks herself up, looking to the door that lies ahead. "There's a crystal in there that we can break, right? Judging from the map, that room is way too small to hold anything else. Should we even bother?" The party sits on the decision for a moment before Lissa notices that Fae's eyes have gone wide. "Fae? What's wrong?"

"We shouldn't go through." When her allies grant her their full attention, she takes a deep breath, claps her hands to her cheeks and then exhales. "OK." She points at the map, directing everyone's attention to the warp crystal in A3 – the very first one they used on this floor. "Look at how the room is setup; there might be a warp crystal right beneath the breakable one, and we'd be warped back to A3 as soon as we stepped inside…" Amy and Lissa's expressions gradually shift to convey surprise, soon shifting once more to show utter disgust. "U- Um?"

Amy turns the map over to Lissa so that she may hug Fae. The girl lets out a yelp of surprise upon being lifted into the air. "That's good thinking, Fae!" She squeezes the lass ever so slightly, letting out a barely suppressed squee in turn. Setting her down, she says, "You just saved us from what could have been a really bad headache." She turns to Lissa, whose disgusted expression has yet to fade. "Sis?"

"That's absolutely disgusting; you mean to say that breakable crystal might be bait?" Fae nods. "Only the grimiest of DMs would design a dungeon like that. Clarisse has more honor than this…most of the time." Fae shades her eyes at this, shaking her head before grabbing Lissa by the hand. The child gives but a single tug, eliciting a chuckle from Lissa. "Yes, of course; we can talk about that later."

The party approaches the crystal to the south after marking down the location of a fishing spot. They are teleported to a crystal located in E3, marking the first instance of the party accessing the southwestern end of the 18th floor. The party heads north first, knowing that the right side of the crystal might immediately warp them again. At the end of this northern path are three holes. The holes on the left and right edges are both caved in, but the middle hole contains a small hollow. Gwenivere leans forward to take a peek inside the middle hole, seeing a nest within and something that has been messily devoured.

She leans back, turning to her comrades as she says, "This is the nest of a monster, though it appears to be away." Once Amy marks this location down for future reference, she follows, "We'll probably visit this place again in the future, but for now – let's press onward." The crystal's right side proves to not be a warp. "Huh. How curious." Glancing at the map, she says, "Approaching this same crystal from the left might warp us further to the east, possibly granting us a means of unlocking that shortcut we found earlier today."

Further along, at another dead end, is a trio of holes. Just as the case was before, the two on the left and right edges are caved in. This time, however, the middle hole extends further inward. Within is a scattered nest and some chewed-up remains that make Hayato's stomach turn. "What a nasty sight." The party elects to leave this place behind, as there is nothing for them here. Instead of testing Gwenivere's theory regarding the crystal in E3, they continue on ahead, as there is more to explore. Turning his head to glance down a path, Hayato's expression beams as he says, "Found a treasure chest!" Just as he steps forward, Fae forcibly pulls him back. "Whoa!" He looks to her, surprised to find her expression looking so focused. He's stuck in her protective embrace, unable to move. "Is something the matter, Fae?"

"There's another crystal right there."

He looks to find that her claim is correct. "Oh, I didn't even notice…"

She holds him just a bit closer as she says, "That crystal would have warped you all the way back to the bottom of that crystal we found in C1; that's so far back, too." She then glares at the crystal, pointing an accusatory finger at it as she says, "Nice try! You won't hurt my prince!"

Gwenivere chuckles at this, crouching down to poke Hayato's cheek. "Aw, aren't we popular, little prince?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

The treasure chest that the party takes the long way to reach contains a bottle of medicine. Studying it for a moment, Fae says, "This is Soma Prime," before securing it with the party's belongings. "Better medicine is always helpful…even if it usually tastes bad." True to Gwenivere's claim, the left side of the crystal in E3 leads to a clearing harboring the staircase that ascends to the next floor. After unlocking the shortcut, the party warps out for the night, for the hour has struck 11PM and everyone is quite tired from the trek.


	35. Pillars of Frustration

Author's Notes: _I feel bad for the blokes who messed up this puzzle as I did, and this wasn't even the worst part of the Jagged Reach's Secret Area. That's in the next chapter..._

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Pillars of Frustration**

When morning comes, the party sits at the breakfast table. Jenetta has enough down time to enjoy the meal alongside them, once again allowing one of the housecats to rest on her lap. Though the meal is consumed mostly in silence, a question comes to Amy's mind. Looking to Jenetta, she asks, "Hey, Jenetta? Where do you Therians come from?"

"Hm? Well, when a mommy and daddy love each ot-"

Amy waves her hands emphatically, her voice uncharacteristically high in pitch as she says, "That's not what I meant!" She scratches at her cheek, letting out a sheepish chuckle as she says, "Come now, Jenetta; I'm married – I know how that works. I'm talking about your homeland, girl."

"Oh~" She giggles. "You should have said so, silly. Most of us are from Mountain City; it's pretty far from Iorys. There, we're trained in combat from our youth! We're all taught how to use a bow and arrow, with katana training being optional. We're also taught how to form bonds with hunting beasts."

Before she can take another bite of her meal, Gwenivere's attention is caught. "Oh? And these teachings are what allow you to speak with all manner of creature?" Jenetta nods. "How curious. In Erdboden, those who can transform into their spirit animals are only capable of conversing with other members of that species." Gesturing towards herself, she follows, "I can speak with any and all manner of birds, but I can't understand wolves like Balto." Gesturing to Amy, she says, "My sister here can converse with all manner of lizards, for she transforms into a dragon."

"Wow, really? Your world has some strange rules to it. So you all made it to the 19th floor, right?" Everyone nods. "I've heard that a lot of citizens are starting to give up on mining the rare ore up there."

Hayato lets out a loud sigh of relief at the notion. "That's for the best, honestly; the Stratum gets more dangerous as you ascend. It's deadly enough for us up there, and we're trained for such things; ordinary citizens would have to rely on Guilds for protection, but it's quite challenging to protect a non-combatant on top of all that."

Jenetta's face is suddenly plagued by a frown. "It's a shame Solor and Lili haven't come back yet; they might have been able to help keep this under control."

Fae says, "The Tower of Sorcery is really far away, though."

Jenetta nods in turn. "Yep, and they couldn't just send that ring by mail. Are you guys gonna do some more exploring today?"

Lissa nods to this, casually twirling the spoon in her hand as she says, "We're gonna hit up the tavern after breakfast to see what quests there are for us to handle. I kinda want to explore the remaining areas beyond the sealed doors, but those can wait." True to her word, she leads the party over to the Twilight Tavern, where she shoots a greeting towards Mirina once the proprietress' attention is caught.

"Hey there. So, are you starting to see an end to the 4th Stratum?"

Amy shakes her head to the notion. "The 19th and 20th floor won't make that easy; we still have a bit of a ways to go."

"You lot never fail to keep a cool head. It's no surprise that the Council relies on you so much." Seeing Lissa's expectant expression, she chuckles. "You guessed it – there's a request for your Guild. You'll get the details once you arrive at the Council Hall; good luck out there." Handing the clipboard over to Lissa, she follows, "We got another one from the MOI; the Institute wants you to capture a powerful creature lurking on the 17th floor. May I see your map?" Amy unfurls the relevant map on a table, allowing Mirina to mark a location in E2. "You'll find some guards stationed here; they'll brief you on the operation."

Fae lets out a groan. "Oh…I hope we don't have to deal with more Sonar Worms…" She departs with her comrades, meeting Aria along the way. The Fencer is on her own, and wears a despondent expression. "Ms. Ari? What's the matter?"

"Huh?" She realizes that her expression must not look terribly convincing if a child can see through it. "Oh, um…my Guild's having a tough time in the 4th Stratum right now. Progress has been slow since Logan's been swamped with work. We're gonna tackle the 18th floor soon, but I haven't heard good things about it."

Unfurling the Guild's map, Amy steps forward so that she may show Aria its contents. She points to one of the warp crystals and begins to explain how they function. "These things are paired, acting like drop-off points. Even if one crystal doesn't warp you, it can still be a drop-off point." She then notes a few examples of this, calling specific attention to the crystal at the bottom-right edge of C1. "A lot of these are just plain evil."

Seeing that the crystal in question is near a treasure chest, Aria winces. "Ooh, Fiona would take that bait without hesitation. That girl's greed is stronger than most monsters. Speaking of, have you tested to see what happens if you teleport while being chased by a monster?"

Gwenivere shakes her head to this. "There are only two FOEs on the 18th floor, neither of which being in an area where these crystals are present."

Frowning, Fae crosses her arms and says, "The 19th floor is probably gonna do that, though."

"I appreciate the help, everyone; we'll do what we can to stay safe, so I hope you do the same."

They bid Aria farewell after this, making way for the Council Hall. Arriving at the entrance, they are greeted by Egar, who appears to have just concluded business with the Council. "Good day, Seekers. I hear that you have reached the 19th floor. I have a bit of information that you may find useful."

Raising an eyebrow to this, Lissa asks, "Oh? Have you started exploring the place, Guildmaster?"

He chuckles. "Not quite, Lissa. Other explorers have done cursory runs, notably while you all were resting up during the evening. There is a new enemy up there known as the Klaxon Cicada." Gwenivere, Hayato, and Fae all groan in disgust. "It gets worse. This species is quite different from the Stun Cicada of the Jagged Reach; it is immune to Sleep, for one, and the trigger for its alarm can occur even if you refrain from slaying it with physical damage."

Fae's eyes go wide at this. "Wait, what? So it can scream at us no matter what?"

"Not quite; it can be stopped with Head Bind, judging from the Monstrous Codex. Instant Death and Petrifaction work as well. The alarm it sounds is of particular note, for instead of inflicting Paralysis, it summons various creatures living within the Stratum. The alarm has levels, so the longer the battle drags on, the more powerful the summoned ally."

Gwenivere's expression contorts to convey ire. "At its loudest, that creature could probably summon a Sonar Worm to the battlefield. Without Cyrus or Master Annora, engagement is ill-advised." She shakes her head, sighing in turn. "We thank you for this information, Lord Egar; it will prove most useful going forward."

"Glad to be of service; luck be with you, Seekers." He then takes his leave, leaving the party with no additional detours.

They step into Ramus' office to see him organizing some documents. He turns around, adopting a surprised expression upon seeing the Seekers. "Oh, hello. What brings you here?" Hayato makes mention of the quest, causing the prince's eyes to widen. "Oh, so you accepted it! I apologize for asking so much of you, but the Seekers are incredibly reliable. This quest concerns an item hidden by a Warlock."

Fae places a finger to her chin, her eyes donning their inquisitive sparkle as she asks, "Is it cursed? Maybe it's sealing a great evil…"

Ramus chuckles at her curiosity, shaking his head as he says, "I would not consider it something so grand, young one. You are right in assuming it possesses a dark past, however. Rumor has it that you become marked for death the moment you lay hands on it – cursed to meet with an unfortunate end. As for the Warlock, his name was Torha; it seems he had a tendency to dabble in strange magics."

Crossing her arms, Amy asks, "Did he collect poisons and monster flesh?"

"Yes, actually; collecting such things was a hobby of his, which only served to add to the rumors." Amy face-palms, noting that she was joking. "This happens to you quite frequently, doesn't it?" She nods, letting out a groan. "I never thought being so savvy could bring distress. For what it's worth, though, Torha never committed any crimes."

Hayato asks, "Weren't people so crept out that they spread terrible rumors about him?"

"Indeed, Prince Hayato; these very rumors continue to cast a shadow on the man." He shakes his head, heaving a disappointed sigh. "No one ever talks about how he used to entertain people as an acrobat in his early days…but that's neither here nor there. After a bit of research, I've determined that the item I seek is located somewhere in the Jagged Reach."

Gwenivere asks, "What sort of item are we looking for?"

"It's a book. If you can find it, please bring it back here."

Looking to Lissa, Amy asks, "That basically guarantees that it's going to be beyond the sealed door. What shall we do?"

Gwenivere clears her throat, catching the attention of her allies. "If I may make a suggestion – I am in favor returning to the Jagged Reach." Lissa asks if there is a specific reason for this, to which Gwenivere replies with a nod. "From what I understand of your past adventures, there is always at least one Stratum Boss whose Conditional Drop mandates a victory immediately upon engagement – it is my belief that the Hippogryph is that boss."

Lissa folds her arms, her expression inquisitive. "That is a fair assumption, but why the interest in the Hippogryph? Do you know what its Conditional Drop turns into?"

"It turns into a sword; I…wish to gauge the price of this weapon so that I may gift it to our beloved in the future." Lissa snickers at this, albeit unintentionally. Gwenivere's cheeks turn red at the notion, though her expression does not reflect the embarrassment she is likely feeling. "Don't laugh, Elizabeth; you would undertake the same endeavor."

"I can't deny that, but still." She nods before continuing, "We can try that, Gwen. I guess that means we'll be exploring the Jagged Reach for today. Let's move, team."

Before setting off for the Jagged Reach, the party returns to Jenetta's Inn to optimize their gear for the upcoming encounter. Cyrus' attention is caught by this endeavor, prompting him to approach them. He can see that Fae is trading out her Sapling Hat in favor of the running shoes he bought for her a short while ago. In addition to this, she attaches one of the Guild's Haste Pins to her shirt. ' _How curious._ ' He looks to find Amy donning a pair of Spring Shoes before pinning the other Haste Pin to her robe. ' _OK, what?_ ' Upon seeing Gwenivere pass a Bravant along to Lissa, he steps forward and asks, "What are you lot planning?"

Gwenivere looks to him and says, "We are aiming to acquire the Conditional Drop of the Hippogryph, darling; I have devised a strategy that will allow us to slay it on the very round we engage it." Cyrus tilts his head at her, his expression conveying confusion. "Do you doubt my abilities, Cyrus?"

"No, of course not. The problem is that the Hippogryph has yet to respawn."

Her eye twitches in response as her expression shifts to put her fury on display. "Excuse me?"

Amy asks, "Nii-chan, are you certain about that? We're already at the 4th Stratum and we're well over the 2-week threshold."

"Yes, I know. Believe it or not, the Amalgolem and Undead King have both respawned; the latter of the two is quite strange, considering two weeks have not passed since his defeat."

Gwenivere's ire intensifies. "How is that even possible? Did we not take the Ring of Undying from him?"

"The Undead King is little more than a zombie now. The Fetid Necropolis is a magically-charged environment that has the ability to raise the dead, though I suspect they are forever bound to its borders. Though his immortality is maintained, as well as his skills in all likelihood, he cannot expand his horizons beyond the Third Stratum." He rests his hand in his pocket, adopting a look of sympathy. "I apologize for not telling you this sooner; you could have avoided wasted time." He watches as Gwenivere takes a seat and heaves a frustrated sigh. "Milady, there is no need to be distraught; that bird will return at some point."

"You do not yet understand, Cyrus, but I suppose it doesn't matter."

Looking to Amy and Lissa, Cyrus says, "How about you two take a break for the day? Fiona and I will step in to explore the Jagged Reach's secret area in your stead."

Amy shrugs, removing the Haste Pin as she says, "Alright. In that case, I need to tell you about the quest Prince Ramus gave us."

Upon being briefed on the quests the party has accepted, Cyrus nods. "Alright, that'll be simple enough." Looking to Gwenivere, he asks, "Do you wish to take a break, Milady? I can swap you out for someone else if you're not up for it."

She rises to her feet, taking hold of his hand. With a shake of her head, she says, "I will not grant this bout of disappointment the honor of rendering me idle." She scoffs at the notion. "How ludicrous. We shall change up our gear…again, and then set out."

Setting her shield down, Lissa lets out a loud sigh. "I'm cool with this! Damn, that shield is heavy…"

Amy looks to the shield, and then to Lissa. "Seriously, how? Your crossbow was massive."

"I'm tellin' you; the difference was like night and day."

Cyrus says, "Maybe the difference is so great because you're holding that shield in your off-hand." Lissa looks to him with an expression that suggests she never considered this. "Go on, try it."

She picks up the shield with her right hand; though it is notably heavier than her old crossbow, it is definitely lighter in the grip of this hand than it was in her left. "Well I'll be damned…" She dons a frown in response to this. "That kinda sucks. I'm not ambidextrous, so I can't make this switch on the fly – my accuracy would be as good as dead." She looks to her shield again, her eyes shading into a focused stare as she falls silent. ' _That's a right shame, too…_ '

"Nothing for it, love." After a short bout of assembly, Cyrus sets off for the seventh floor with the Chain Squad. They return to the sealed door, where the Master Key is used to disperse the magic seal. Putting the key back with the Guild's essentials, Cyrus looks to his party as he asks, "Ready?" They nod to him, with Fae taking a step forward. "Is something the matter, little one?"

She removes the orb she and the rest of her party found on the fourth floor, presenting it to him as she says, "This is what I wanted to show you." The orb sparkles, shimmering in the various colors of the spectrum as a smile forms on Fae's face. "Isn't it pretty?"

Cyrus takes hold of the orb, staring at it for a moment before handing it over to Fiona. "This is a magical tool that allows us to train without necessarily being in combat." He shakes his head. "Alas, it counts as an Accessory, so I have to ask you to replace your Almighty Ring with this." She nods to this, returning the ring to the party's belongings. "If I wasn't running Lightweight, I'd happily carry that in your place."

"Nothing for it, Cyrus. Let's get moving." She takes point, stepping through the door before her comrades. The area before them harbors three doors and a path resting on the western edge that leads further north. She takes a moment to study the maps of the Stratum. After comparing the layout of the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors, she reaches a conclusion. "The northern path leads to further progress; beyond these three doors is likely a treasure chest." Looking to Cyrus, a conniving grin forms on her face, as well as a sinister gleam in her eyes. "You know what needs to be done."

She doesn't grant him the opportunity to give a reply, instead grabbing him by the hand as she leads the party through the door on the far left. There, resting directly in the distance, is a treasure chest. Fiona motions to make an immediate dash for it, only for Cyrus to stop her efforts by wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her backwards. "Easy now, tiger." He points to the east, where an Impeding Tengu can be seen staring at the party. He then directs her attention to a pillar that can be pushed down. Fiona frowns at the sight, but calms herself. Shading his eyes at the sight, he says, "I can outpace it."

No one is granted the chance to question his certainty as he breaks into a dash. The tengu's expression shifts to show surprise at this in turn as it rushes to push the pillar down. He retrieves the contents of the chest before performing a back flip to reunite with his team. The tengu pushes the pillar down, but its efforts are far too late. It glares at the Seekers, infuriated, before making an effort to pursue them. The party shrugs at this before exiting through the door they used to get here. With the FOE unable to pursue them beyond the door, the party is granted a chance to see what Cyrus obtained – it is a bottle of Medica IV.

The northern path is a long canyon, a straight shot leading to a door. Beyond this door lies the continuation of this stretch. Though it eventually bends into a slew of paths to choose from, the first of these paths leads to an immediate dead end where the party is beset by a pair of enemies. At first glance, it appears to be a formation consisting of a Volt Squirrel and a Rending Mole, but the squirrel is red instead of yellow. Pointing at it, Fae says, "Aunt Lissa said that squirrels that can use fire are really dangerous…"

Cyrus draws his sword as he says, "It's weak to Volt; Fire is obviously not an option, but you'll be surprised to find that it resists Ice as well." He takes a single step forward, provoking the enemies into assuming their offensive stances. "Let's go." He stabs his blade into the squirrel, granting Fiona a chance to follow up with Chain Shock. The squirrel proves to be incredibly resilient, for it falls back and, despite its injuries, swings its tail to launch a spear comprised of flames at Cyrus. Though he steps to the side to avoid this, the spear does not disperse, instead flying to the back row to explode as it strikes Hayato. The prince lets out a scream as he crashes to the ground, catching Cyrus' attention. Hayato retains consciousness, though he is clearly suffering incredible pain. "Prince, can you stand?!"

"Y- Yeah!" He slowly rises to his feet, though he is clearly in no state to continue fighting.

"Use Heaven's Gift on Fae; Fae, petrify the Squirrel! Gwen, smack 'em!" Hayato's brief prayer once again grants Fae the burst of speed she needs to act, though it proves to have been an unnecessary gesture, for the Fire Squirrel was fully stricken with its paralysis as a result of the first bomb Fae threw. The creature is promptly shattered to pieces, leaving only the Rending Mole. This creature falls with no effort, granting Fae a moment to treat Hayato's wounds. Sheathing his blade, he steps over to assess his comrade's injuries. "That was a nasty hit."

Hayato chuckles at this, flinching as Fae applies more medicine to his wounds. "Yeah, you're telling me."

Looking to Gwenivere, Fiona says, "We might want to start with Magic Shield whenever we engage those from now on." Once Hayato's injuries have been fully addressed, the party continues forward. There are two more paths to take, one that takes the Seekers to a staircase ascending to the eighth floor while the other leads to a door. Shrugging, Fiona says, "Might as well finish this place before ascending." Stepping into the area beyond the door, the party is met with a large, spacious clearing with nothing in it, save for a lone treasure chest. There are no FOEs nearby, nor are there any standard enemies to countenance. Fiona licks her lips, her vision tunneling so that only the treasure chest can be seen. "It's so free…" Cyrus rests his hand on her shoulder, breaking her reverie. "What gives?"

"That treasure chest is obviously a trap. A monster of some sort rests within it, assuming the treasure chest itself isn't just a Mimic in disguise."

"And if it's holding the book we're looking for?"

"Then there'd be no point to the secret area of the floor above this one." She growls at him, her once neutral expression giving way to a fierce scowl. "Harbor ire as you will, Fiona; I'm not letting you open that chest."

"P- Please don't fight…" Cyrus and Fiona adopt surprised expressions at this before simultaneously attempting to denounce the notion. Fae shakes her head in turn. "You don't have to lie…I know it's normal for couples to fight sometimes. Well, the young ones, anyway." She grabs the two by the hand and leads them away from this place. "We can always come back for this treasure chest later. Let's go." On the next floor, the party proceeds through a winding canyon, eventually engaging a trio of enemies in combat. A Jumping Caracal, Volt Squirrel and Fire Squirrel act as the opposing team. The plan is much the same as it was before, except this time the Fire Squirrel aims its spear at Fae. Cyrus jumps in front of her to take the hit, failing to realize that the attack would simply pierce through him to strike her anyway. He loses consciousness on the spot.

When he wakes up, it is with Fae cradling his head as the others loom nearby. "Wh- What happened?" His memories return, causing his eyes to widen. "Fae, are you alright?"

"Uh huh. The Explosive Spear went right through you, so I got hit anyway, but you took so much of the damage that it didn't really hurt that much." She looks to Gwenivere and Hayato as she follows, "Aunt Gwen's shield helped, and Prince Hayato kept me healed." Looking back to him, she asks, "Are you sure you don't want to go back to wearing armor?" He sits himself up, resting his hand on her head as a soft smile forms. "I don't get it."

He rises to his feet, letting out a groan as he stretches his back. "I would prefer to commit. The only reason I've been having problems recently is because we keep running into enemies that are immune to Blind. Haste Prayer would go a long way, but Lord Hayato is going to need to prioritize Bolt Prayer for Milady." He takes hold of her hand, leading her along as he takes point. "Come, we have yet more ground to cover. Do your feet hurt? You may rest on my shoulder if you'd like."

"I never skip Leg Day, so I'm fine."

Cyrus directs his attention to Gwenivere and Fiona as he says, "She's too precious; we have to protect her." They give him a blank stare in reply before continuing on ahead. The secret area of the eighth floor is incredibly small, but ends with another ascending staircase. Stepping up to the ninth floor, the party is met with two doors to choose from. "The area beyond the door to the east harbors an FOE; since there is a pillar we can topple as well, it's most likely another tengu." They step through the door to the south, which reveals the existence of another tengu. Further, this expansive region is connected to the same area as the tengu that dwells beyond the eastern door. Cyrus sighs at this. "I do not care for these creatures."

Tugging at Cyrus' leg, Fae looks up to him and asks, "Can't we just beat them up? Aren't we strong enough now?"

He nods. "We are, yes, but I prefer to solve the puzzles the way they are intended." He glances at the map again. "That said, we don't have enough time to reach that pillar before the tengu does." Further exploration of the area reveals that both tengu will be in a position to chase the Seekers around if they attempt to avoid combat, which elicits another sigh from Cyrus. "Instead of provoking the second, let's engage the first." He draws his sword, turning to face the approaching FOE with a disinterested expression plastered across his face. "Ready yourselves." A quick glance at the enemy reveals that, "It's weak to the physical elements; we'll run with Fire."

Gwenivere motions to the front line to cast Amplifier as Fiona focuses to improve her Chain Skills. The tengu looks at this as an opportunity to strike her, but misses the mark as a result of Cyrus tampering with its depth perception. Fae's Dark Bomb does not blind the creature, but she pays this no heed as she readies Smokeblight. Hayato makes use of Heaven's Gift, dispelling Fae's Blaze Prayer so that Smokeblight will take effect before Gwenivere can take her swing. This plan works, though Cyrus and Fiona still prove to be faster. Gwenivere's blazing hammer sends the creature rolling along the ground, though it is not yet dispatched. Resting her weapon on her shoulder, she says, "I don't recall giving you permission to approach me, you brute."

The tengu summons a pair of Stun Cicadas to aid it in battle, but these are immediately burned to ash by Hayato's use of Dance Oracle. Fiona's follow up with Chain Flame allows her to thrust her blade into the heart of the Impeding Tengu, where its flames then disperse, melting the creature's innards. It puts up a brief struggle, flailing uselessly before slumping to the ground, expelling a dying cry as it does so. Fiona smiles at Hayato as she says, "Your footwork is improving."

He blushes at this, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Fae looks to him with sparkles in her eyes. "Prince, you should dance with me; I bet having a partner will make Dance Oracle stronger."

"Um, sure thing, Fae; we can make that work." He can't help but smile as she cheers to his consent. She grabs hold of his hands before jumping in place. "I didn't think it would mean that much to you." He chuckles. "Whatever makes you happy." Pointing at the second tengu, he asks, "Are we going to slay that one, too?"

A quick check of the map reveals that there is only one way into the area where the second tengu resides, which in turn means there is only one way to get the treasure chest that rests within that same area. With a sigh, Cyrus takes to the fore once more as he calls the party to battle. The engagement is won, though Cyrus suffers a nasty hit from the tengu in turn. The reward waiting within the treasure chest is an Ariadne Thread, which deflates everyone's spirits. "We have to reset the floor now." They proceed down the staircase they used to reach this place, only to immediately return. The pillars are raised again, but the tengu have returned in kind. Cyrus adopts a look of unbridled hatred upon realizing this. His voice is akin to a primal roar as he pushes the southern door open to point and shout at the tengu ahead, which is now a Rare Breed. "You piece of shit! Do you think this is a game?! I will usher you into oblivion!"

Fae has taken to hiding behind Gwenivere, shivering as she asks, "What happened to Uncle?"

Gwenivere turns around to crouch down and hug the child, patting her head as she softly replies, "Don't worry, sweetie; you know he's not normally like this."

"B- But…he's never this scary." She watches as Fiona steps into the expanse to approach Cyrus. "Huh? Fi-Fi?"

Stopping at her comrade's side, Fiona glances at him. "Cyrus, we can figure this out."

"It's about principles, Fiona."

Just before she can reply to this, the tengu screeches at Cyrus, which causes his irate expression to reach its peak. He motions to leap across the chasm before him, likely intent on tearing the FOE's throat out, which prompts Fiona to stand in front of him and wrap her arms around him to hinder his movements. "I don't know what that thing just said, but it's not worth it." To her surprise, he relents, instead proceeding further into the area. The rest of the party follows him, stopping at his side when they reach the pillar this Rare Breed is going to push. "I don't think we have a plan for this." She watches as Cyrus takes off his shirt and hands it over to Gwenivere. "What are you planning?"

"If that pillar is going to come down anyway, we'll have to tank the hit. I'll act as the bracer so that the rest of you can proceed to the other side."

Hayato's eyes widen at this. "Wait, what about you?"

"The pillar will push me back, but I won't be cut off. In fact, this should outright prevent the tengu from following us." He steps forward, rolling his shoulder as he says, "Get ready." There is no room for argument, so his allies follow along with his instructions. True to his claims, the pillar does push him towards the canyon's eastern edge; it is also much heavier than he was anticipating. Though his allies are granted passage, he suffers heavy damage in the process. Fae spends half an hour tending to his wounds before the party continues. Retrieving his shirt from Gwenivere, he sighs. "Thank you, Fae; I'm sorry I worried all of you, but that was really the only way we could progress."

Another tengu is up ahead, but this time, the pillar it is set to knock down is impossible to bypass. A brief search of this area in which the Seekers are trapped uncovers a hidden passage. Fiona says, "This is our only way out of here aside from using an Ariadne Thread, but this is a one-way passage." In spite of this, she and her comrades proceed through it. To the north is another long stretch of a canyon, which leads to another one-way passage. "This will take us back to the beginning of the floor, but we won't be able to return." To this effect, the party proceeds to the south, only to learn that this long and narrow canyon is nothing but a dead end – it does not lead back into the area with the next tengu. "Are you fucking serious?!"

They all look to Cyrus, who quickly realizes that he's going to have to suffer damage from that pillar a second time. To their surprise, he does not express anger; he simply sighs and turns to head north. Gwenivere rushes over to meet with him, grabbing hold of his hand to stop his march. "Cyrus, we can head back to Jenetta's Inn for a break."

"We can't start from the staircase of this area, Milady; to take a break would mean having to start over from scratch. I won't have Fae stay up for longer than is necessary." He lets out a groan as he turns away from her. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can head back." After resetting the pillars, the party steps back up to the floor. Before stepping through the southern door, a thought occurs to Cyrus. "Wait…" He looks at the map again, soon taking to counting meticulously. He spends about an hour on the task, but he eventually heaves a sigh of exasperation. "That is among the dumbest puzzle solutions I have ever seen."

Crossing her arms, Fiona asks, "What is it?"

Cyrus rises to his feet, furling the map. "We're supposed to let the tengu on the eastern side push its corresponding pillar onto us. This will grant us enough leeway to bypass the second tengu without going all the way around. In turn, we have just enough time to run by the third pillar before that tengu can drop it." Fiona gives him a blank stare. "Yes, I know, Fiona; I hate this revelation, too."

"Are you going to take another hit for us?"

"I'm certainly not about to let my girlfriend get hurt in my stead."

"We're killing the third tengu, by the way; it deserves nothing less."

He does not present any qualms with this notion, so the party commences the operation without further delay. Cyrus' plan turns out to be the correct solution, allowing the party to finally progress further as the hour strikes midnight. The tengu in their path is slain without any semblance of remorse, granting passage to what lies beyond. At the end of this long road is the area the third tengu was guarding, which houses two treasure chests. Fiona steps over to open the chest on the right. Within is a sample of Formaldehyde, which causes her expression to brighten. She shows it to Cyrus, but his expression does not change to match hers.

"This may or may not be worth it." He steps over to open the remaining treasure chest. Within is a firearm that has been customized to shoot bullets that release a gas containing a numbing agent. Cyrus falls onto his back, deflated and unable to muster any additional strength. As he looks up to the stars, he can see Fae and Gwenivere motion into view. "That damn book wasn't here, so it's in that obviously trapped chest on the seventh floor." He sits himself up, pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "Regardless, we're heading back for the night."


	36. Reptoid Rumble

**Chapter 36: Reptoid Rumble**

The party returns to the secret area of the seventh floor immediately after breakfast is finished on the following morning. They currently stand before the supposedly trapped treasure chest Cyrus forbade his allies from approaching before. He steps up to it, approaching from the side rather than directly from the front. ' _This is going to be incredibly stupid._ ' Despite his caution, he is still caught by surprise as a pair of squirrels leaps out of the chest and attacks him. He is unable to react in any respectable capacity, allowing one squirrel to smack him with its barbed tail. Though Cyrus withstands this attack, he is subsequently knocked unconscious by a powerful bolt of lightning launched from the second squirrel. A scream escapes his throat as pain envelops his form and his body hits the ground. This bolt of lightning is widespread, striking everyone else in the party in turn; it even inflicts paralysis on everyone except Fae.

Hayato revives his comrade by triggering a Union Skill between those who remain, allowing him to cast Hygeia's Bowl, which also cures the party of the paralysis. He triggers the use of the Bolt Prayer, knowing that a repeated onslaught of that party-wide Volt attack will quickly become unmanageable. Fae throws a Numbing Bomb, and though she only manages to paralyze one of the squirrels, this grants Cyrus enough time to catch his bearings. Gwenivere has cast Amplifier to further bolster Fiona's use of Chain Plus. Looking to Cyrus, Fiona says, "Gwenivere should be able to take out one of the squirrels; we'll get the one that isn't paralyzed."

He nods to this before charging into the fray ahead of his comrades. A use of Deft Thrust catches the enemy's attention, though this isn't strictly to the party's favor since it is prepping to use that party-wide Volt Skill again. Hayato takes a risk and uses Dance Oracle to bolster Gwenivere's use of Clever Strike, which does indeed slay the paralyzed squirrel. The remaining opponent is able to use Dynamo Thunder again, paralyzing Hayato and eliciting a pained scream from Fae. Cyrus steps to the side to avoid the bolt. ' _Not this time._ ' He is then directly before the squirrel, catching the creature by surprise before ending its life with three precise stabs – one to each eye, and then a final decisive thrust to the throat. He turns to see his two comrades, both of whom are still conscious. "Are you alright?"

"Please tell me that stupid book is in there. Uncle, that really hurt…"

"I know, and I'm sorry." He sighs, looking to Hayato as he says, "You made all the right calls, Prince, though I wouldn't have used Dance Oracle; you could have died."

"You might not have been able to kill the squirrel if I hadn't done that, right?"

"That is…certainly possible." He steps over to the treasure chest to peer inside. Much to his surprise, there is a book within. Its cover is worn, and its letters are of a kind he cannot decipher. He stores it with the Guild's essentials before picking up Fae and resting her on his shoulder. "We're heading back, team." They make way for the Council Hall; stepping into Ramus' office, he is quite delighted to see them, though his expression gives way to concern when he sees the furious expressions of the Seekers.

"Goodness, I do not believe I have ever seen such ire emanate from you all before. Whatever is the matter?" No one provides an answer, but Cyrus does offer the book to him. "Is this…" After flipping through a few pages, his smile returns. "You found it! Hold a moment, if you will." He flips through several more pages, making it apparent that he can read the script within. Before long, he nods, satisfied with his cursory glance. "There can be no doubt; this is it." He looks to the party again and says, "I must know what has you all looking so distraught." The battle with the Megavolt Marmots is recounted, which brings an apologetic expression to the prince's face. "I- I had no idea you would face such danger. I am so sorry."

Cyrus shakes his head at this. "It's honestly my fault for not having a means to nullify enemy ambushes. Syrik mentioned back in the 3rd Stratum that one of the FOEs of the Jagged Reach dropped materials that could be used to make a bow; this bow reportedly has the power to nullify such ambushes."

"I see, but you never went back to create it?"

He shakes his head. "My Guild doesn't typically suffer from ambushes to begin with, so we've never had a reason to expend the resources until now." He glances at his team, his expression turning dour. "If those squirrels had both used Dynamo Thunder, we'd all be dead right now. I'm sorry, everyone; I've clearly lost my touch; I honestly don't know what happened."

Fiona shakes her head to this, crossing her arms as she shoots a displeased expression towards him. "This is the first time this has ever happened, Cyrus. There is no precedent for monsters living within treasure chests; it's because of your caution that we were prepared for an encounter at all." Looking to Ramus, she asks, "If I may ask – what is written in that book?"

"Ah, yes. This is Torha's diary; most of what's written in it has to do with his wife's struggle against illness. Back then, there was no cure for the severe sickness she suffered from."

Hayato says, "I imagine he spoke with every doctor he could find."

"Indeed, but none of them could reach a solution. As it turns out, all of his strange hobbies with collecting dangerous substances was his way of trying to find a means to save his wife." He sighs, shaking his head as he follows, "Alas, she passed away before he could figure something out. Torha never stopped looking for a cure, however; he wanted to prevent anyone else from suffering as his wife did, but he, too, perished before his work was complete."

Fae takes a moment to think on this. "This sounds familiar…didn't doctors find a cure ten years after that?"

Ramus nods in reply. "It is my belief that Torha laid the groundwork for that discovery. Of course, I have no means of proving that, but I can at least show that he wasn't the villain the masses made him out to be." He looks over the party as he says, "I cannot thank you enough for your hard work. You will find your reward at the tavern…and…I'm truly sorry about the battle you had to endure."

Cyrus says, "Don't worry yourself over it, Prince Ramus; this is part of the job. I guess I'm just used to Yggdrasil waiting until the 6th Stratum to try such things. Admittedly, the entire secret area of the Jagged Reach is not something I'm fond of." He and his Guild bid the prince farewell before making way for the Twilight Tavern. Here, Cyrus holds up an arm to greet Mirina.

"Finished with that Council request, huh?" She then notes the malefic aura emanating from everyone's form, which causes her to scan them cautiously. "Did…something happen? Even Fae is radiating hatred right now…" Though the party cannot give her specific details concerning the nature of the mission, they are able to inform her of the Jagged Reach's secret area, as well as the battle with the Megavolt Marmots. "Wow, that sounds awful. If both of those squirrels had used that widespread Volt attack, you all would be dead right now."

Gwenivere sighs at this. "Cyrus said the same thing. Truth be told, there were many things that could have gone wrong in that encounter; one mistake – one bad sequence is all it takes for a setup to fall apart." She looks to Cyrus, her expression despondent as she says, "If I may be so direct, I am honestly surprised you managed to stay consistent for three whole Labyrinths before this."

"It's probably because I'm taking a greater degree of risk now. My setups here in Iorys aren't guaranteed; I dare say they don't even properly cover the margins of error that my past setups would." He takes a seat at the counter, sighing as he says, "The rest of you can head back to the inn; I need a drink."

Fae takes a seat next to him, looking to Mirina as she says, "Yeah, me too; Matron, c- may I please have a lemonade?"

Mirina giggles at this. "Certainly, little lady." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "And what about you, good sir?"

He looks at Fae, who returns his gaze with her sparkling eyes and beaming smile. Looking back to Mirina, he can only shake his head. "Screw it; I'll have what my niece is having." This respite ends up being much shorter than intended due to Fae's intervention; when the Seekers depart, they make way for the 17th floor to handle the next quest on their list. A pair of guards comes into view as the party draws closer to the bottom western edge of the floor. "Ah, there they are."

After a brief exchange of introductions, the guard in charge steps forward. "You have our gratitude. As for the target, it is just beyond that door."

Cyrus looks to the map to find a dormant FOE is waiting within. "That's curious; this is definitely a Sonar Worm, but all of the ones on this floor are supposed to be dead. I mean, I counted – I helped slay all of them…"

The guard expresses surprise to this. "You…killed all of them? Surely not in a single bout?" Cyrus nods, causing the guard to hold his head in his hand. "The rumors are true; the Seekers are monsters."

Fae rests her hands on her hips, looking up to the guard with a puffed out cheek and as angry of an expression as she can muster. "We're not monsters! We beat up monsters!" She then shifts to express concern and worry. "Do we really have to fight a Sonar Worm? I don't like those things…"

"Please don't be alarmed, little lady; we are here to capture the creature. You need only lure it to this spot. If I may borrow your map?" Cyrus hands the parchment over, allowing the guard to mark the tile just ahead of the entrance to the room. "By the time you draw the creature here, our trap will be set." Cyrus takes a moment to study the map, going so far as to sit down on a nearby crystal and count out the steps needed to make the plan a success. "This won't be a problem, will it?"

"No, not at all; I just want to be thorough." He looks to his comrades and says, "You all will remain with the guards; I'll handle this." His team nod to this, much to the surprise of the guards. The guard in charge attempts to talk Cyrus out of this idea, to which the Fencer shakes his head. "You needn't worry; I have this covered." He then proceeds through the door into the lair of the Sonar Worm, leaving the guard with no chance to dissuade him further. There are three crystals in this room, just as before; Cyrus makes his way to the top-right corner to strike the farthest crystal from the left side. In response to the noise being generated, the Sonar Worm moves northward. ' _Good, now I just need you to move westward twice._ '

He proceeds to the crystal normally blocking access to the exit of this room. He delivers two swings at its bottom edge to destroy it, drawing the worm within biting distance. A shiver runs down his spine, though he does not turn around to face the creature. He carefully maneuvers around the FOE so that he may approach the final crystal from its top side. Raising the pickaxe, he looks to the side to see that the trap is fully set. With a nod, he delivers two swings, baiting the Sonar Worm into the trap just as planned. He was expecting a pitfall of some kind, but is instead met with a device that releases a soporific gas that puts the worm to sleep. The capture mission is a success; he returns to the guards, bowing as a smirk forms on his face.

"Much appreciated! The Monster Observation Institute will be very pleased. Your reward has been left with Mirina; please see her to claim it."

The party bids the guards farewell and departs from the Labyrinth using an Ariadne Thread. Mirina greets them with her usual smile once they return to the tavern. They turn in their report, to which she replies, "Glad to see the monster-wrangling went well. Still though, to lure in such a creature alone – do you handle such tasks often, Cyrus?"

"I've done solo capture missions before, yes, but they aren't assigned too frequently."

"You ever captured a cute one?" He nods. "Well? Don't keep a girl in suspense."

"I was once assigned to capture a unicorn that had gone berserk." Her eyes widen at this. "Unicorns are actually quite dangerous when they're not minding their own business; this one went berserk as a result of its water source becoming contaminated. We had a means to cure both it and the water, but the remedy couldn't be applied while the creature roamed freely."

"So uh…how'd that turn out?"

"Hm? Oh, the unicorn is doing well; I didn't deal any permanent damage, and as you can see, I'm also fine." He frowns. "In case you're wondering, the MOI did not send us after a cute monster. We had to deal with this." He then holds up the Monstrous Codex, which has been opened to the page of the Sonar Worm. Mirina lets out a shriek, hopping backwards as she motions into a defensive stance. "Yeah, that's about the right reaction."

"Put the book away!" He does as she commands, allowing her a moment to collect herself. "Goodness. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less." She hands him a shining bracelet as she says, "This is your reward; thanks for your help."

He turns the bracelet in his grip, studying its features. "What an interesting pattern; I wonder what technique was used to preserve the shine within the metal." He slips it onto his wrist, albeit for a moment, and feels his body becoming more durable. "Hm, this must be Iorys' equivalent of the Glow Brace." He slips off this bracelet before storing it amongst the party's belongings. With a nod, he says, "Pleasure doing business with you, Matron; we'll be back in the future."

She waves as the party departs. "Take care!"

The Guild endeavors to undertake two gathering runs, though the Take Points of the 18th floor have yet to be visited. With Lissa, Amy, Fae, and Hayato in tow, Cyrus leads his team to the 18th floor to get to work as the hour strikes 1PM. The party arrives at the first Take Point located in the south-eastern edge of the floor at E5. Here, the group gets to work. Fae is the first to show her yield, which consists of one unit of each item that can be obtained here. The first of which is a green species of fungi that proved to be quite difficult to pry from both the walls and the ground.

The second item is a bluish-white plant that takes on a silver sheen when raised to the light. Fae glares at this plant, her countenance notably filled with disgust as she says, "This is Igneous Herb. It's really healthy, and used in a lot of medicine…but it's super nasty." Her usual demeanor returns as she places the Igneous Herbs with the party's belongings. In their place, she pulls a flower in bloom – its petals are akin to crystal. "These are really pretty."

Cyrus crouches down to get a look at the flower. "I've seen this in one of your textbooks; this is a Crystal Flower, something that is used to make the physical equivalents of the offensive jars." He helps Fae secure the gathering haul before rising to his feet. "Alright, one more point, and then we can take a breather." The yield at the Take Point of the floor's western edge is not nearly as generous as the first, though the Seekers are not fettered by the notion. They return to Iorys, sell their materials to Syrik, and then return to Jenetta's Inn to take a break. Taking a seat on a nearby sofa, Cyrus lets out a loud sigh. One of the housecats leaps onto his lap and makes herself comfortable, going so far as to look him in the eye and request ear scratching. He chuckles at this. "Awfully demanding for a kitten." He takes to occasionally scratching her ear all the same.

Fae takes a seat beside him so that she can pet the kitten in turn. She giggles once the kitten begins to purr, quite content with the results. Looking up to Cyrus, she asks, "Uncle? How come you never explore with us as a M- Mas- as the Katana Man?" Cyrus snickers at this, going so far as to hold his hand to his mouth. Fae tilts her head at this. "Huh? What's so funny?"

"Has someone told you about the Uchigatana Man?"

"No? Who is that?"

He pats her on the head, letting a chuckle escape him as he says, "He's a legend, sweetie; I'll have to tell you about him at some point." Another chuckle escapes him, followed by a content sigh. "Is that what you want, though? For me to act as the Guild's Masurao?" She nods twice, a wide smile forming on her face. Taking a moment to ruffle her hair, a soft smile forms on his own as he says, "I suppose we can work something out." Balto can be heard travelling down the staircase, soon motioning into view before approaching the sofa. Cyrus reaches out to scratch behind the Hound's ear, which seems to elicit a pleased expression from his comrade. "Enjoy your nap, Balto?"

The Hound takes a moment to stretch as he says, "Indeed I did. Did the gathering go well?"

"It was so-so; the first Take Point had a noteworthy haul, at least." Footsteps sound from the direction of the stairs, directing his attention towards them. Clarisse steps into view; she is in the middle of stretching and letting out a loud yawn. She takes to wiping her right eye as another yawn escapes her. Cyrus yawns from simply looking at her. "Yeah, that's definitely contagious."

Clarisse takes a seat at the empty space next to Cyrus, wrapping an arm around to his farthest shoulder before moving a bit closer to him. Resting her head, she mutters, "Five more minutes."

"You're joking, right?" No response. "C- Clarisse?"

"She has fallen asleep again, Cyrus; I suggest you make yourself comfortable."

"But…I was going to ask her to go exploring with us…"

Clarisse suddenly jolts awake, frantically looking side-to-side as she asks, "Exploration?! Where?!" She then takes notice of Cyrus, causing her to tilt her head. "Co? When did you get here?" It takes a moment, but she soon realizes that she's not in her room, nor is she in bed. "When the Hell…"

Looking to Balto, Cyrus asks, "Does she sleep walk often?"

"Only on occasion." Directing his attention to Clarisse he asks, "Are you awake now, Mistress?"

Before giving a proper reply, she claps her hands to her cheeks; if the resulting redness is any indication, she might have used excessive force. "Alright, we're good now." Realizing that she is closer to her comrade than she'd prefer, she motions a minuscule distance away from him and then firmly rests her hands in her own lap. "Damn, I need to work on that. So, uh, about that exploration?"

With a shrug, Cyrus says, "I was wondering if you'd like to explore with us today; I know I haven't invited you or Valerie in quite some time."

"Not that the Princess minds; she's been training in her downtime anyway." She smiles at him. "I'd love to get out and stretch my legs, though; where we headed?"

"I suppose we can check with Mirina first. If there aren't any requests to handle, we can go straight to the 19th floor." Though it takes a bit of effort to get the kitten's permission to leave, Cyrus changes into his Masurao gear before assembling Amy, Lissa, Fae, and Clarisse as his party members; after their supplies are accounted for, they depart from the inn to make way for the Twilight Tavern.

"Oh? Back so soon? I guess you're here for work, then." A chuckle sounds from the proprietress as she flashes the usual clipboard. "There's a quest ready, in fact." She hands it over to Cyrus before following, "This one comes from one of the prospectors mining for riches within the Lucent Hollows." A frown forms as she says, "Upon arriving on the 18th floor, the client was ambushed by Saurians; he had explorers hired on as bodyguards, so he at least managed to escape with his life."

Clarisse asks, "How much did he have to leave behind?"

"Everything." Clarisse lets out a sharp whistle in reply. "Naturally, he wants to recoup his losses. Curiously, instead of asking you all to simply reclaim his belongings, he wants you to slay the Saurians."

Cyrus nods to this, his expression stern as he says, "The Saurians likely attacked them as a planned raid; those creatures are a bit too intelligent for us to let this slide as bad luck."

Amy frowns in turn, cracking her knuckles as she says, "We can't leave them be, either, otherwise more people are gonna get hurt. Where are the Saurians located, Mirina?"

"Their nest is said to be on the south-western side of the 18th floor." Amy stares at her for a moment before unfurling the Guild's map; gazing upon it, Mirina lets out a whistle of her own. "Are there really that many crystals up there? Wow…"

Amy chuckles at the notion. "We can't mine these, Mirina; they're warp crystals." She directs Cyrus and Clarisse's attention to the two nests Gwenivere discovered; her brow furrows as she says, "We might want to head to the nest in E3 instead of D3; it might let us get a preemptive strike."

Nodding to this, Cyrus says, "Indeed. Considering these Saurians have given us trouble in the past, any advantages we can rig would be most helpful."

Before the party can depart, Mirina calls out to Cyrus. When he grants her his attention, she points to his left arm, specifically the katana secured to it. "Is there any particular reason your katana isn't at your waist?"

"You've heard of Iaijutsu, right?"

"Yeah, Ronin from Etria and Lagaard refer to it as the Drawing Stance; it's a style where the wielder focuses on drawing strikes, often sheathing the blade after an attack is finished."

"Having my katana strapped to my arm like this facilitates the practice. I tend to use my sheath for parrying attacks, so this is the only way I can break even when I'm not within the Fetid Necropolis."

She crosses her arms as her expression becomes plagued with concern. "Do you have practice fighting that way?"

"I spent the second half of my adventure in Tharsis fighting like this, actually." Her expression brightens upon hearing this, suggesting that her worries have been put at ease, even if only slightly. "You needn't fear, Matron; I wouldn't stake the lives of my comrades on something that actively impedes my skill."

"Yeah, that's true; I just worry about you guys…you know that. Come back safe, alright?"

His final reply is a silent nod before taking hold of Fae's hand and departing from the tavern. The party makes its way to the south-western portion of the 18th floor, a task simplified by the warp crystal near the stairs ascending to the 19th floor. Arriving at the nest located in E3, a pair of piercing eyes can be seen glaring at the party from a distance. Lissa clicks her tongue in frustration at this. "So much for getting the drop on 'em." Looking to the nests, she readies her shield as she says, "The Saurians already know we're here."

Cyrus glances at the nest to find that there are three holes. ' _Amy said the two on the sides were caved in, but Gwenivere mentioned that the middle hole extends beyond what can be seen…the Saurians will attempt an ambush._ ' Entering a drawing stance, he says, "Team, focus on the hole to the right. Fae, when the Saurians jump out, toss a Numbing Bomb. Lissa, ready a Counter Guard; Clarisse, summon Balto – I'm anticipating consecutive encounters; Amy, assume a defensive stance to prep for Titan Killer."

When the enemy emerges from the hole, it is indeed from the right, which causes the duo to back away. Both are caught off guard by Fae's bomb, which successfully paralyzes them both, allowing Clarisse to use her whistle to summon Balto to the crystalline caves. Cyrus' call for a defensive stance proves to be a smart one, for one of the Saurians pushes through its ailment to fire a shockwave from its blade to attack the Seekers' front line. Amy and Lissa take reduced damage from this attack, though Lissa takes greater punishment than expected as she's driven backwards. Regardless, she counters with a shot fired from her cannon, causing the Saurian's shield arm to recoil from the impact.

Cyrus blocked this attack entirely, following up by disappearing from sight. When he returns to everyone's field of vision, he is in front of the Saurian that struck his allies, drawing his katana into a slash. Though his blade cuts into the hide of the enemy, his eyes widen as he comes to a realization – it is resistant to cut damage. He jumps backwards, seemingly warping back to his allies to relay this information. Readying her bow, Clarisse asks, "What's the plan?!"

Entering another drawing stance, Cyrus sets his sights on the right Saurian to gauge its weaknesses. He soon obtains the information he seeks. ' _Weak to Bash…susceptibilities…_ ' He nods to himself. ' _Got it._ ' Glancing at Amy, he says, "Sis, use Titan Killer on the one we didn't hit. Fae, Smokeflash on the right! Clarisse, Hunter Shot down right!" Despite surging her fist forward, Amy's use of Titan Killer does not slay the target; it then rewards the front line with its own use of Vacuum Slash, which renders Amy unconscious while Cyrus and Lissa are both left barely clinging to their own. Clarisse and Balto successfully manage to seal the arms of the Saurian on the right, preventing it from capitalizing. ' _Lissa is almost down. Hell, I'm in no shape to fight, either._ ' He shakes his head to this; ' _Now's not the time, Cyrus; they need you._ '

Lissa triggers a Union Skill between the two of them, granting an opportunity to resuscitate Amy while Fae and Clarisse attempt to disable the remaining Saurian. Though Fae's Smokeflash fails a second time, Clarisse succeeds. As Amy rises to her feet, Lissa deploys a bunker. With this distraction, Cyrus takes the opportunity to stab his katana into one of the Saurians. Amy's fist takes on a red glow as she charges in to capitalize on Cyrus' efforts to debilitate the enemy; the Saurian is completely unprepared as her fist surges forth, this time with greater fortitude, and ushers it into oblivion as the creature fades from existence entirely.

With one of the enemies down, Fae rushes over to treat some of Lissa's injuries; Clarisse calls upon Balto to assist her in undertaking the same task with Cyrus. The Saurian motions to charge into the fray, only for Amy to deliver a backhanded swing of her fist to knock its head clean from its shoulders. The creature's corpse limply falls to the ground, soon ceasing all movement. "You clowns thought it was sweet." When it becomes apparent that the party won't be attacked again, she takes a seat on a nearby flat chunk of ore. Her features suggest she is still reeling from the damage she sustained. As Fae steps over to heal her, Amy holds up a hand in protest. "We have at least one more fight to deal with, and I'm gonna need Titan Killer for it." She looks to Lissa. "Hey, I know you haven't made much progress with it yet, but do you think Divide Guard might work?"

"I- I'm not so certain."

"Right, well, we hav-" her statement is interrupted as she reaches a revelation, one that brings a sad expression to her countenance. "Right, crap; we don't have our Union Skills charged anymore."

Stepping forward, Cyrus says, "Let us depart from Yggdrasil and then immediately return to our task; that will grant us an instant recharge to all of our Union Skills." Lissa and Amy stare at him blankly; "What? It is a perfectly legitimate strategy."

Resting a hand on her hip, Clarisse jokingly asks, "I suppose you'll want to save our progress, too? You know, just so we don't have to deal with that one fight again?"

"If such an option was available, I would abuse it with neither remorse nor hesitation."

"Well then. I guess you feel strongly about this." A moment is taken to think on the notion, but she soon shakes her head. "I can't really say I get how useful that would be. I mean, you still have to experience the death that results from your failure, right? If I'm gonna die, I'd rather do it once, you know?"

He nods to this, though his reply presents a counterargument. "That's a normal way to look at it, Clarisse. I see it differently since I've experienced death many times."

"Oh, yeah, you did mention that…though, you never did give me the specifics." Remembering that Fae is present, she can only think to herself, ' _I'll probably be waiting awhile, too._ ' She looks to Amy and asks, "Are you sure you don't want us to heal you, first? There's simply no telling how dangerous this is going to get."

"I know this is risky, Reese, but I want you to trust me." She looks over to Cyrus, who grants her his attention with a silent nod and an expectant gaze. "Am I pushing too far with this? Am I committing too strongly?"

He stops in his tracks, prompting his party to do the same. "Amy, I'd be a hypocrite if I said 'yes', but at the same time, I'm worried. I know that a single punch, even with Fortitude, won't be enough to slay our next enemies. You're basically asking yourself to survive three consecutive rounds in a critical state without Ailment or Bind support." He glances at the upcoming nest, a sigh escaping him as he says, "It'll likely work for this first encounter, but there's no telling if it'll work for the next." Turning to Lissa, he says, "We'll trust her; I'll use Tri-Shield first so that you can preserve your options."

"Right. Hopefully we won't need to use Tri-Shield twice in the same fight."

Pointing at the nest up ahead, Fae asks, "That one doesn't go that far, right? Are the monsters gonna jump out from the middle this time?"

Crossing her arms, Amy furrows her brow in concentration before replying, "That's certainly a good guess, Fae. I'm willing to run with it, but what about the rest of you?" The others agree to Fae's suggestion as well, to which Amy nods and steels herself for the upcoming battle. "Alright, let's do this."

True to form, the Saurians emerge from the center hole, both being armed with lances. Seeing this, Cyrus scans them both with his Runic Eye to gather information. ' _Oh, now you wish to be weak to cut damage – yeah, convenient._ ' Glancing back to Fae, he says, "These are susceptible to Blind and weak to Stun." Shifting his focus to Clarisse, he follows, "Use Hunter Shot to Leg Bind them; that'll gimp their agility, gimping their accuracy in turn."

Nocking an arrow, she nods to him. "Leave it to me."

Lissa does not preemptively deploy a bunker, but does give a draconic roar as the battle begins. ' _She'll be the center of attention because of this, so Mirror Moon won't be effective._ ' Triggering a Union Skill between himself and Amy, he says, "Change in plans! Amy, we're committing to a snipe with Double Attack and Titan Killer!" Though she intended to use Overexertion, she trusts his judgment and switches to imbuing her fist with energy instead. His call results in the first of the Saurians to die before it can even ready its lance. Clarisse's use of Hunter Shot not only results in the sealing of the remaining Saurian's legs, but its arms as well. It falls shortly after.

Though the party is once again expecting to be beset by another encounter, this does not come to pass. With the conclusion of this battle, the quest is complete. Fae lets out a cheer, skipping over to hug Balto and Clarisse. "Aren't you glad Aunt Amy's not hurt?"

The child's beaming expression brings a smile to Clarisse's face in turn, prompting her to crouch down and properly return the embrace. "I sure am, munchkin." She looks over to Amy and says, "Don't scare me like that again, OK, Stinger?"

"I'll try not to, but I don't make promises I can't keep." She is surprised to find that Fae is now forcibly pulling her along. "Huh? What's wrong, Fae?" She does not receive a verbal answer; instead, Fae points at a nearby flat rock. Amy chuckles at this and takes a seat, allowing the child to properly treat her wounds. "Thank you, Fae; I didn't mean to worry you."

"You and Uncle do this too much; I guess you really are brother and sister, huh?"

"He kinda rubbed off on me when we were growing up; sometimes, close friends just end up that way."

Sheathing his katana, Cyrus exhales a sigh of relief and turns to address Lissa and Clarisse; "You two alright?"

Crossing her arms, Clarisse says, "Fae and I didn't take any damage in either of those encounters." Pointing at him, she follows, "You almost died again; damn near gave me a heart attack." Letting out a huff, she says, "And you treat it as if it's normal." She looks to the side, taking note of Fae's focus on her efforts to heal Amy. Turning her own focus back to Cyrus, Clarisse thinks to herself, ' _This might be a good chance to ask him._ ' She nods once in silent affirmation. "Co, is it alright if I ask?" His downtrodden expression leaves her to assume a negative answer is imminent, but the opposite comes to pass.

"For me, Clarisse, death is normal. Only counting the instances where I could only be revived by Amy's power, I've lost my life thirty times over the course of…um…thirteen years."

"Goddamn, man, so over 30? Wait, why is Amy relevant to this?" She looks to Lissa, who can only turn away. For reasons Clarisse has yet to learn, Lissa adopts a pained expression and takes to nursing her arm. She looks to Cyrus again, directing an expectant gaze towards him.

"In Erdboden, the power to defy true death through healing prowess alone is a gift granted to few. Medical science has progressed quite far in my world, so our doctors are capable of resuscitating victims that would normally be considered too far gone in this world."

"That's some powerful science; can you cure terminal illnesses yet?"

He shakes his head. "No, not yet. You need divine intervention for that." He runs his hand through his hair, exhaling before he continues. "People like Amy, those with that power to defy true death – that power comes at a price. The recipients of that healing magic will be restored, but their natural lifespan is shortened by one year as compensation."

This doesn't immediately register for Clarisse; a moment of awkward silence passes before her eyes widen. She looks to Lissa, who still won't make eye contact, and then to Cyrus. "Wait, so you've lost 30 years?" He nods. "D- Co, do you even know what your natural lifespan is?"

"Before I got the Runic Eye, it was six years; I believe I was originally supposed to die two months before my seventh birthday. Divine intervention granted me this eye, and with it a natural expectancy that capped at 100 years." He sighs, resting his hand in his pocket as he says, "To be entirely honest, I don't want to live to be that old; by that point, I'd probably go back to needing my family to take care of my every need. I went through six years of that, Clarisse – I never want to be in that state again."

She crosses her arms at this as an indignant expression forms her countenance. "You didn't deliberately get yourself killed to shorten it, did you?"

"No. My deaths came as a result of me throwing myself into danger to keep Milady and my other loved ones out of harm's way. It's a lot like how you've seen me work, just with the danger scaled up."

Lissa adds that, "The bulk of his early deaths were a result of taste-testing Gwenivere's food to check for poison. As you can guess, there were a lot of actual hits."

"Clarisse, I'd like to point out that, though my natural expectancy has been reduced to seventy, I can still live longer than that when you factor in lifestyle and further medical advancements."

"OK, Co, no offense, but with your lifestyle, I'm not expecting you to make it past 40."

"Yeah, I suppose that's fair." His mouth thins into a straight line; though he wishes to refute this, he honestly cannot. "I'm trying, Clarisse."

"Yeah, I can see that. I-" she sighs. "I wasn't trying to deny your progress." Glancing over at Fae, she can see that Amy's treatment is complete, and that the two are approaching. She steps over to Cyrus and pulls an Ariadne Thread from his pocket. She drops her volume to a more hushed tone as she says, "We can discuss this later…thanks for telling me all this." Cyrus is not given a chance to reply before the party is warped out of Yggdrasil. Stepping into the Twilight Tavern, Clarisse is the first to approach Mirina. "We got that quest taken care of."

"Already? That was quick." She shrugs before offering the party the designated reward, which consists of three boxes that appear to be crafted from some form of armor. When Clarisse asks about these boxes, Mirina looks down to them and says, "Oh, these are Heavenly Gifts; using one in battle somehow grants additional experience." When Clarisse shoots her a blank stare, she waves her hand as she says, "I'm not the one who comes up with the descriptions, dear." As Cyrus secures the Heavenly Gifts with the party's belongings, she asks, "So what's next?"

"It's already 4PM, so we're gonna rest until sundown before tackling the 19h floor." He rolls his shoulder, letting out a groan. "Those Saurians were stronger than usual, even sporting unique resistances. The lancer variant was even weak to Blind." He shakes his head to this, preemptively putting a cessation to his own rambling. "Pay me no heed, Matron; we'll see you later."

She chuckles at his musings. "Yes, of course; take care."


	37. Misfortune amongst Opportunity

**Chapter 37: Misfortune amongst Opportunity**

When 7PM arrives, the Seekers return to the Lucent Hollows, now intent on exploring the 19th floor. Stepping up to it, the party is immediately met with a door that lies directly across from their starting point. To the west is a warp crystal, though this is not an immediate priority. Clarisse takes a moment to summon Balto before she and her comrades proceed through the door that lies ahead. Beyond it is an extension of the cavern; not far from the door is another warp crystal – further still is the two-headed canine FOE. After drawing what she can see, Amy suggests everyone return to the starting point. Much to her chagrin, the party's paths are both barred by warp crystals, mandating a decision.

Cyrus steps forward to the top side of the crystal in order to test its functions; to his surprise, nothing occurs. He beckons Amy over so that he may get a look at the map. "Curious. There does appear to be an area we can explore on the southern edge, but this crystal did not warp us." Looking to the north, he can see a breakable crystal up ahead, as well as a spot where more Forest Wheat grows. The party has no need for additional wheat at present, so they focus their efforts on removing the crystal that obstructs their path. Just up ahead is a narrow passage that leads directly to yet another warp crystal. Looking to his comrades, he asks, "Shall we test this one?"

Fae points to a small alcove, one that doesn't appear to lead anywhere, and asks, "Will it warp us? Maybe that spot is connected to a one-way shortcut." Cyrus visibly shudders at the thought, his face contorting to show disgust and perhaps a tinge of nausea. "Uncle? Are you OK?"

"Yes, Fae…I'm fine. Just bad memories, is all." His group decides to take the chance with the crystal before them, only to learn that it doesn't trigger its warping effects either. What's more, the alcove is of no importance, though Fae's suspicion of its status as a drop-off point still remains to be clarified. Cyrus shrugs as he says, "Oh well. Nothing for it, I suppose. Let's head back; I wish to test the left and right sides of the crystal in E4." En route, the party is beset by an Enemy Set. Two Hypno Bats occupy the rear line, while a single instance of the new cicada breed occupies the front. "Clarisse, bind it, if you would. Fae, Numbing Smoke; the rest of us will play defense."

Fae's bomb paralyzes one of the bats, even taking an immediate effect to rob it of its chance at acting. Unfortunately, the other bat releases a hypnotic wave, which puts Clarisse to sleep before she and Balto can carry out their orders. Lissa readies her shield as she says, "Fae, try hitting the cicada with the Chaos Smoke." This doesn't work, causing Lissa to click her tongue in frustration.

The cicada attacks Fae in response, only to be swatted away by her backpack. "Pesky thing! Stay away!" Amy and Lissa are put to sleep by another hypnotic wave, though Fae and Cyrus remain conscious. "Um, this is bad!" She watches as Cyrus immediately dispatches one of the bats. She pulls a petrifying bomb from her pack; ' _I've been having really bad luck…I'm letting everyone down…_ ' Her use of Smokestone fails in turn, only deflating her spirits further. In turn, the cicada's security level, indicated by its now flashing crimson wings, has reached its maximum level. ' _Oh no…_ ' Tears begin to well up in her eyes as the potential consequences for her failures start to flood through her mind.

' _Can't use Black Mist since the others are asleep. Full Retreat won't work, either. Very well._ ' He rushes over to Balto, crouching down as he says, "Take care of Fae for me; I'm gonna lead them off."

"Are you mad? That cicada is about to summon a Sonar Worm!"

"That is precisely why I must do this."

To this effect, he rises to his feet and then rushes into the enemy line. By way of throwing a few punches, he garners the attention of both the remaining bat and the cicada. The latter of the two is especially upset with having been struck, and takes to pursuing Cyrus relentlessly as he makes a retreat further into the cavern; the bat follows suit, leaving Fae and Balto free to rouse the others. Clarisse is the last to wake up, but is also the first to ask about Cyrus' whereabouts. "Wait, what happened to Co?" She looks to Fae, who is currently wiping away the tears that won't stop streaming down her face. Clarisse assumes the worse from this, covering her mouth to stifle her horror. "Fae, you didn't see it, did you?"

"Uncle lured the monsters away." Her voice hitches in her throat as she tries to explain what transpired, but the endeavor proves to be too much for her as she starts sobbing. "I heard a Sonar Worm roar right when Aunt Amy woke up…"

Rising to her feet, Clarisse straps her bow to her back. "Balto, did you see which way he went?!"

Directing her attention to the northern path the party just arrived from, he says, "Pursuit is ill-advised, Mistress."

"You're kidding right? He can't handle a Sonar Worm by himself!"

"Reese, stand down; we're going to wait here for a moment."

"Lissa, are you for real?"

Gesturing to Fae, who is currently being comforted by Amy, Lissa can only sigh before turning her sights to the cavern Cyrus supposedly led the monsters to. "I want to be there with him, truly, but Fae needs us more." She looks to her comrade, her expression stern, but her desire to render assistance by no means subdued. "I'm going to trust him; if he's not back by the time Fae calms down, we'll head out immediately."

Clarisse complies with this order, though it is not without clearly held reservations. She takes a seat beside Fae, soon taking the child into her arms. "Listen up, munchkin." Despite her word choice, her voice is soft as she continues, "None of this was your fault; if anything, it's mine for being the first one to fall asleep when Co needed me most." The sound of approaching footsteps catches her attention, and though she's hoping they belong to Cyrus, there are too many sources for this to be the case. She looks to the right to find that Aria's Guild has drawn near.

Having never actually met the rest of the Guild, save for Logan, the Seekers are granted a chance to get a look at the other three members. One such member is a tall Celestrian male with short white hair; his eyes, teal in color, have the look of exhaustion about them, but the man in question seems unfettered. His garments suggest that he is a Warlock, as does the cannon holstered at his hip. Beside Aria is a Therian woman wielding four katana, suggesting that she is a Blade Dancer Masurao; her scarlet hair is accentuated by her golden eyes, which sport a focused gaze as they scan the party. Rounding out the party is a young Brouni with fluffy blue hair and green eyes. She wears the same uniform as Fae, and quickly rushes over upon seeing Fae's despondent expression.

"Fae, what's wrong?! Are you OK?!"

"H- Hi, Karol…"

Logan steps over to assess the situation, quickly noting that there are only four Seekers present. Looking to Lissa, he asks, "You didn't come here with an incomplete party, did you?" She shakes her head to this, and then offers an explanation of the events that just transpired. "Shit, and he's still out there? Right." He looks to the Botanist of his group and says, "Karoline, I know you're worried about your friend, but we gotta rescue someone."

She rises to her feet, offering a quick apology to Fae before rushing to Logan's side. "Y- Yes, sir! What kind of injuries are we expecting?"

"Lissa said Cyrus has likely engaged a Sonar Worm, so he might suffer puncture wounds." He looks to the Masurao as he says, "Shizuna, you and Albiero will need to hold back while Aria and I setup."

Shizuna points to the cavern ahead as she replies, "We may not need to engage any foe, Logan." As Logan turns to see what Shizuna is pointing at, Cyrus steps into view, emerging from the cavern. The man rests his arm on the wall beside him. "Wait...that's not his Fencer setup."

Cyrus' current disposition makes for a terrible first impression. His armor sports several scratches; a trail of blood streams from his mouth; the rest of his body is covered in wounds of ranging severity. Perhaps worst of all is the thick crystalline spike that juts from his left shoulder. He falls to one knee as Fae leaps out of Clarisse's arms to rush over to him. Cyrus takes a moment to look back, soon letting out a sigh. ' _Good, that thing is still investigating the crystal I struck._ ' Turning his focus back to the present, he finds that Fae and Aria are both standing before him. The latter of the two is looking to be quite flustered, likely from seeing the crystal that has been stabbed into his shoulder. "Yeah, this looks pretty bad, doesn't it?"

Aria shakes her head. "That doesn't even begin to describe it, dude."

"Uncle, I'm so sorry…" The tears return. She is so caught up in her guilt that she flinches as Cyrus pats her on the head. "H- Huh?"

"Had a spot of bad luck, did you? It happens to everyone, Fae, so try not to worry about it." He smiles, though his pained expression pervades the sentiment. "I'm just glad I was able to do my part." Clarisse and Balto step over, with the former crouching down to assess Cyrus' wounds. "I just don't understand how enemies consistently out-speed you; this happened in the Fetid Necropolis, too."

"Yeah, don't remind me; that damn Bone Archer got me good." She frowns at the sight before her. "All this because I couldn't disable a friggin' bug." She looks him in the eyes, her gaze stern as she says, "A lot of this is going to hurt, but I promise to take care of you." With assistance from Fae, Karoline, and Amy, Cyrus' wounds are addressed in the span of two hours. The wound in his shoulder warrants an additional rest period, but Cyrus assures the others that Lord Wrath will handle it. Clarisse wipes the sweat from her brow and exhales a sigh of relief. "I hope that's my only scare for the day."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "Same here; I haven't been roughed up that badly since Corotrangul."

Lissa lets out a loud groan at this as her face shifts to convey disgust. "Dear, could you please refrain from mentioning that awful engagement?" She shakes her head to rid it of the memory before looking to Karoline. "You were a great help, little lady; I owe you for helping to keep my husband's life."

She blushes at this praise, rubbing the back of her head with one hand while trying to wave Lissa off with the other. "I was just doin' my job, ma'am." She glances to see that Fae is in much higher spirits than before; the lass is currently in Cyrus' embrace, a wide smile on her face as she nuzzles her cheek against his. "I'm just glad Fae doesn't have to look so sad anymore."

Cyrus steps over and sets Fae onto the ground. Looking to Karoline, he says, "Thanks again for the treatment, little one; I owe you." He takes a moment to look over Aria's team, his attention falling on Albiero and Shizuna in particular. "You know, Shizuna, I still haven't gotten the chance to see you in action; I'm curious about Blade Dancers."

"I could say the same about you. It is rare for Masurao to walk the path of the Blade Master, rarer still for those same Blade Masters to be Earthlain. "It is a pity that I did not get to see your skill with a blade." She crosses her arms as a frown fixates on her lips. "You could have let us come rescue you; we do have a debt to repay, if you'll recall."

He adopts a confused expression upon hearing this. "I thought I said I'd be fine with you treating me to a meal?"

"Nonsense! A warrior repays her debt in battle, not in the kitchen!" She scoffs. "I would not settle for buying you something cheap, either. It is customary in my family to add a personal touch. That said…" She blushes, her stern gaze momentarily wavering as she averts eye contact. "I can't cook." Albiero snickers at this, prompting her to glare at him. "Not a peep."

He complies with her command, but skirts around the notion by offering a grin instead. Shizuna growls at him, but makes no further effort to reply beyond that. "I wasn't worried when Dame Lissa said you ran off to distract the enemy, but I wasn't expecting to see you acting as a Masurao. You haven't given up on the Fencer role, have you?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I double enlisted with this Branch."

"Ah, I see, I see. Well then, perhaps we'll get to see you work in this state at some point."

"I just hope I can meet your expectations…and that none of us are in the middle of an FOE battle when that day comes." Looking to Logan and Aria, he asks, "Where is your Guild heading from here?"

Looking to the north, Logan sets his eyes on the cavern Cyrus just emerged from. "We should investigate to make sure the Sonar Worm you lured away doesn't return here. It would be catastrophic to the unprepared." He offers a salute, which his comrades take as their cue to enter formation. "May our paths cross again, Seekers." He looks to Aria, who nods before giving the order for her team to march. After a brief check of their own equipment, the Seekers continue with their own investigation.

To everyone's surprise, the left side of the crystal in E4 warps them to a new location. When their vision properly returns, they are in E7, at the farthest reaches of the floor. Two shortcuts are nearby, one to the west, another to the south. The party elects to investigate this southern shortcut first, only to find that it is an exit-end. The western shortcut proves to be a similar case. The spacious cavern allows the party to approach the warp crystal within from three separate angles, with the right side looking to be a means of warping back to the starting point of the floor. Curiously, a breakable crystal bars the way, suggesting that, if the Seekers were to try and step past the top side of the crystal, they'd simply be warped further south.

Amy and Cyrus motion to test this, but nothing happens. The former is legitimately surprised. "Huh, I guess this is a drop-off point for a later crystal." She shrugs, making way for the right side of the crystal as she says, "I guess that's it for this place at the moment." When the party warps back to the start, she realizes that, "We have no choice but to test the crystal where the Hellhound dwells." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "By the way, did you gain any information on the Klaxon Cicada while you were away?"

"I did, yes. The buggers are immune to sleep, but I believe the Guildmaster already informed you of this. Surprisingly, all three of the elements do increased damage, but stab damage is the most effective. Stun, Curse, Panic, Blind, Arm Bind, and Leg Bind are all neutral; it outright resists everything else, which is why Petrifaction didn't work."

Clarisse clicks her tongue in frustration at this. "Then we really were just unlucky." She steps into the door leading to the Hellhound's domain; a quick test reveals that the bottom side of the crystal near the door does not lead anywhere. Clarisse's eyes widen as the Hellhound steps into range of the crystal's left side, promptly being warped to the eastern side of the floor at D7. "Well damn."

Fae points to the map as she says, "That Orthrus can't come back either; this crystal doesn't have a right side for it to warp to." Clarisse has a laugh at this before carelessly stepping forward. "Huh? Ree-Ree, wait!" Her warning comes too late, and Clarisse is warped to the same area as the Hellhound. "Oh no…"

Cyrus brings his palm to his face. "Did she really just do that?" He sighs. "Everyone, prepare to make a break for it." He picks up Fae to rest her on his shoulder. "Amy, you get Clarisse." When the rest of the party warps to D7, Amy picks up Clarisse with haste and immediately begins running. The area to which the Hellhound was warped is a cavern that acts as a circuit. Though there is a treasure chest to procure, the party settles for grabbing it later, for doing so now would force them to warp out via Ariadne Thread. The retreat leads to another warp crystal, which leads directly across from the one they used to get here. "Um…what?"

Fae's expression shifts to panic as she reaches the same conclusion as Cyrus. "That means the Orthrus can still chase us!" She points to the door leading out of this place as she says, "We gotta go!" As the party takes a few steps forward, the sound of one of the crystals activating causes Fae to flinch. "Oh no…" She watches as Cyrus, Lissa, and Amy all motion to strafe to the side, which prompts the Hellhound to do the same. This abuse of horizontal preference forces the creature to warp again by mistake; in celebration, her comrades do a choreographed jig. Fae's response is a flatly delivered, "What."

Stepping through the door at 10PM, the party arrives on the other side of the crystal that they could not previously use as a warp. Lissa frowns at the sight, realizing that the crystal is really little more than an obstacle. "We can use its top side as a means to warp back to E4, but it doesn't lead anywhere new." She looks ahead to find another door. She shrugs at the sight. "Let's press on, I guess." Beyond this door is a small chamber with a crystal waiting at its top center. "We can immediately write off the bottom side since this is the northern edge of the floor. It might be a drop-off point later on, but we'll deal with that later."

Stepping forward, Cyrus looks to both the left and right side of the crystal before studying the map. "We can go either way here, but we have no real frame of reference."

Pointing at the right half of the floor, Fae suggests that "This side of the floor has more FOEs uncovered, so maybe we should explore the left side first?" No one is in disagreement with her assessment, so the party approaches the crystal from the right. To their surprise, nothing happens. "Wait, what? We didn't have a choice at all!" The party makes its way over to the left side to trigger the crystal's effects, and is warped to a larger clearing that makes up the bulk of A7. An Orthrus is in here, and immediately starts chasing the party. "No, stay away! Bad dog!"

The party is ultimately forced to run this Hellhound through both A7 and A5; their efforts just barely allow them enough time to escape through the door the creature was guarding. Cyrus sets Fae onto the ground, slumping down beside her as his back presses against the wall. "OK, let's take a break." He takes a deep breath and exhales as his gaze is directed towards the ceiling. "That was not OK." Fae rests her head on his right side, prompting the man to rub her head. "It's alright, Fae; we're safe from that creature."

The Seekers resume their adventure after their brief respite is complete. They are beset by another Enemy Set before too long; this one consists of another Klaxon Cicada, though this time it is assisted by a Rare Breed Mole King, which elicits a blank stare from both Amy and Clarisse. Knowing the mole is going to most likely dive underground before the party can do anything to stop it, they all opt for a defensive approach. For some reason, the Mole King doesn't dive underground, instead choosing to take a claw swipe at Lissa. "Oh, you wanna go?!" She then roars at the creature, causing it to take several steps backwards.

Fae attempts to throw a Smokeflash to stun the Mole King, but even in the midst of its panic it is still faster than everyone else in the party, rendering her efforts useless. ' _This is crap!_ ' The rest of the battle plays out smoothly, though Amy and Cyrus end up burning both of their Union Skill charges in order to snipe the Klaxon Cicada. They both point out after the fact that the effort definitely was not worth the price. Fae lets out a sigh as she steps over to Cyrus' side. When asked what's troubling her, she shakes her head. "I'm just scared of messing up again…"

He rests her on his right shoulder again. "Don't worry about it too much, Fae. A stroke of bad luck befalls everyone; the most you can do is move forward and keep doing your best." He pokes her in the side, eliciting a giggle as she tries to move his finger away. "There's the smile I remember." Looking to the left path, he can see another warp crystal, one that can be approached from all four sides. "The left side is a dud; the top is a trap that leads all the way back to E7; the bottom is a drop-off point; and the right side is our way of progress."

"Uncle, how do you do that?"

"Years of practice. Anyway, let's see what's down this right path before we press onward." Up ahead is a dead end where Conrad stands alone. "Conrad? What are you doing here?"

"Well…" He sighs, rubbing the back of his head as an embarrassed expression overtakes him. "We came here in search of more crystals, but I went and wandered too far from the others." Behind his affable demeanor is a clear sign of exhaustion. "I thought about waiting for them back in Iorys."

"In the state you're in? Not happening." He sets Fae onto the ground and says, "Take a break first; we'll help you chart a path out of here, though I'd much rather just give you a spare Ariadne Thread. We always carry two on hand." He looks to Clarisse and Lissa with a smug grin on his face. Though he says nothing, the way the two let out a simultaneous huff as they turn away from him suggests that his message was perfectly received. Conrad chuckles at this before taking a seat as well. Leaning against a crystalline wall, his expression shifts to show relief as he slips into slumber.

Most of Cyrus' Guild follows suit, with only him and Amy remaining awake. Taking a seat on his left, she takes to stroking Fae's hair as the child comfortably rests her head on Cyrus' lap. Amy's voice is but a whisper as she absently asks, "Quite different from Armoroad, isn't it?"

"Indeed. I can't say I'd ever willingly setup camp in the Abyssal Shrine."

"How's your shoulder?"

"Lord Wrath has taken care of it by chipping in each time Fae has needed to heal me after combat." He sighs, though a soft smile forms shortly after he does so. "This adventure has been very different from what I expected of it."

"It's not over yet, either; I wonder what the 5th and 6th Strata will bring." She gently rests her head on his left shoulder, sighing in relief as she makes herself comfortable. "Get some sleep, nii-chan; you need the rest more than the rest of us."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that, Amy. Rest easy, dear sister." When Cyrus next opens his eyes, Conrad is standing before him. "What?" He realizes that it is now 5AM. "Oh…crap; I was not supposed t-"

Conrad chuckles at this. "There's always safety in numbers, Cyrus. I thank you and your friends for lending that security to me. I'll use the crystal in B7 to make my way back to the start of the floor; getting out of here should be easy from there."

"Very well. Be safe out there, Conrad." Conrad nods to this before offering one final wave and departing. Cyrus wakes the rest of his party, opting to serve what he originally packed as lunch as breakfast instead. When this is done, they continue with their adventure, with Fae taking to resting on Cyrus' right shoulder again. He gently pokes her side again as he says, "You know I spoil you."

She places a finger to her lips as she says, "Shh…don't tell Aunt Gwen." The two have a laugh at this as they proceed towards the crystal together. Curiously, a door waits at the end of this hall housing the warp crystal, but it does not appear to lead anywhere. "Maybe we'll come back here for a quest…"

The right side of the crystal leads to a small area in B5. The warp crystal in this room can be approached from the left to send them back to B7, but this is entirely unnecessary. The door leading out of this room grants the party access to a much larger clearing housing another crystal. Clarisse looks to this crystal and says, "I guess we have a choice between approaching from the right and the top. The bottom side definitely doesn't go anywhere, and the left has to be a drop-off point, right?" Cyrus nods to this assessment. "Hm…I say we try the right side first." Nothing happens. "Wait, seriously?"

Looking to her, Amy says, "The left side could still be a drop-off point, but this more or less confirms that it'll either be as an emergency escape route, or a trap." When she steps to the top side with her comrades, she finds herself in a lengthy corridor that houses two Hellhounds. "Oh…oh shit. Um, run!" The party has to run the hounds through a circuit twice before the path forward is clear. "That one Hellhound is like right behind us; we need to go!" At the end of the corridor is a door that the party swiftly proceeds through. Catching her breath, Amy holds a hand to her chest in some effort to steady herself. "And I thought the first one was bad."

As the hour strikes 7AM, the party is warped to a new crystal that resides in an area that grants access to one of the only shortcuts the party had found up to that point. Fae says, "We should head back to let everyone know we're OK. This is the first time we've ever spent the night in Yggdrasil, right?" The others are in agreement with this, leading to the party warping out of Yggdrasil for a respite after the shortcut is unlocked. Refreshed, the party returns to the 19th floor where they left off. As she looks around the crystalline cavern, a question comes to Fae's mind. "We're supposed to be looking for someone, right?"

Cyrus nods to this. "Prince Ramus has tasked us with searching for a mysterious girl. I believe you were with Amy and Lissa the last time she was spotted." Before anyone can comment further, the party's balance is thrown off as the entire cavern begins to shake. The party takes to the ground, bracing themselves for what changes this may bring. Alas, nothing comes to pass; when the quake subsides, all is as it once was, at least from what the Seekers can observe of the immediate area. Rising to his feet, Cyrus checks to see if anyone has been injured. ' _Everyone appears to be fine._ ' Looking towards the path ahead, he absently says, "I heard a roar just before the quake."

Stepping up to his side, Clarisse says, "It could have been that Crystal Dragon." The two are not given much time to ponder this as a trio of enemies approaches. A Lance Saurian and Klaxon Cicada occupy the front while an Ice Cryst occupies the rear line. Readying her bow, Clarisse falls back to the rear line of her own formation. "I'll try and bind the crystal."

"Appreciate it; Fae, trigger Guard Order with Clarisse. Lissa, we need a Bunker." Clarisse's attempts to bind the target are met with failure, prompting Cyrus' eyes to widen as he realizes, ' _Lissa used Dragon Roar preemptively._ ' He exhales a sigh of relief as the Lance Saurian's use of Windmill is primarily directed at the bunker Lissa deployed. Though she suffers damage, it is not enough to bring her down. Triggering a Union Skill between himself, Amy, Fae, and Clarisse, Cyrus coats the surrounding battlefield in a black mist. His voice takes on a dark tone as it seems to sound from all sides. He slips away amidst the mist, removed from the sight of friend and foe alike. "No more games."

Knowing that Cyrus has a plan of some kind, Amy decides to leave her brother to his own devices as she charges into the fray; the Lance Saurian is her target. Taking advantage of its lack of visibility, she hooks her left foot to strike the back of the Saurian's knee. It lets out a sound of shock as it begins to fall to the ground, but is immediately silenced as Amy surges her left fist at a downward angle to punch it in the face. The force of the impact causes the creature to accelerate into the ground, causing its body to create a crater. The Saurian succumbs to it injuries, for not only was its skull obliterated by Amy's fist, but its bones were also crushed upon impact.

As Amy takes a moment to exhale the breath she'd been holding, Fae and Clarisse take another shot at disabling the cicada; both the Chaos Bomb and Hunter Shot are successful. An audible click can be heard from somewhere within the mist, which is followed shortly by visible red ripples in the air that slice into both of the remaining enemies. As the mist clears, Cyrus reappears next to Amy, knelt to the ground as he sheathes his katana. He exchanges a brief glance with Amy before his comrade rushes over to use Titan Killer on the Klaxon Cicada, which causes the creature to disintegrate. The Ice Cryst remains, and makes one last effort to spit ice at Lissa while Fae is tending to her wounds. Cyrus appears in its line of fire, deflecting what would have surely been the killing shot with his sheath. He then stabs his katana into the creature's body, slaying it. Removing his blade brings with it an azure core.

With a swift pull, he removes his blade while the core briefly remains suspended in the air. His weapon is quickly returned to its sheath, allowing the core to fall into his hand. He then takes a moment to observe this core, noting that its hardness changes with the temperature. Lissa steps over and asks, "Are you alright, Cyrus?"

He turns to face her as he places the azure core in his pocket. "I should be asking you that, love; I almost lost you."

She grins at him. "Oh please, I had that under control." He sighs in response to this before wiping some of the remaining frost off her shoulder, placing a kiss upon her forehead shortly after. She blushes at this. "Thanks." Pointing to a small path that leads to the east, she says, "I think that will take us to the stairs."

"Right. Let's heal up and solve this last puzzle for the treasure chest." The party ignores the warp crystal in E6 in favor of approaching the one in F5 from its right side. From here, they need to loop around the crystal, taking care to avoid drawing too close, so that they may approach a new crystal in E4 from its left side. The treasure chest awaits at the drop-off point; within it is a silver ingot. "A nice enough find." He looks to the party's only exit, frowning as he realizes, "That's gonna take us all the way back to B6."

Amy unfurls the map so that the two can gauge whether or not it'd be faster to just warp out of the Labyrinth and start from the floor's original entrance. Amy eventually says, "It won't take that long, actually." The trek takes two hours, but the Seekers do eventually return to the entrance of the passage Lissa noted before. The party progresses cautiously, and rightfully so, for there is one last warp crystal barring the path. Taking a quick glance at the map, Amy's expression becomes furious as she says, "Now that's just dirty." Pointing at the crystal, she looks about her allies as she follows, "If we had approached from the bottom, we would have been sent back to A7 with that one Hellhound."

Without saying a word, Lissa and Clarisse depart, with the latter of the two calling for Balto to follow her. Fae holds her arms out to Cyrus, silently asking to be carried again. He abides, resting her on his right shoulder before grabbing hold of Amy's hand to lead her away from this place. "That just means we need to approach the crystal in F4 from the left." True to form, this is the last step before the party is free to unlock the final shortcut and proceed to the staircase. Before departing from Yggdrasil completely, they backtrack to pilfer the contents of the one treasure chest they missed. Within is a sum of 13000 ental, which the party happily pockets before taking its leave.


	38. Papa Mia

**Chapter 38: Papa Mia**

Upon exiting the Labyrinth, the party makes way for Jenetta's Inn. Here, Cyrus requests access to the Guild's designated storage area, from which he procures all of the crystalline item drops that have been obtained from the various monsters of the Lucent Hollows. As he stores these in a separate bag, Fae's eyes sparkle at the varying colors. Though she wants to ask Cyrus to let her see them up close before they leave, she refrains, instead walking at his side as he calls for the party to return to the Twilight Tavern. Here, the young girl that requested these materials sits at a table, lightly kicking her feet as she reads her usual tome. Upon taking notice of the Seekers, she lowers her book and smiles at their approach.

"Hello again. Did you find any minerals?" Cyrus places the bag on the table. As he does so, Fae hops onto his back to look over his shoulder. As each item is produced, the young girl's expression brightens further. "Ooh, these are so pretty!" Starting with the Warped Voltstone, the girl giggles at how it is shaped like a childish rendition of a lightning bolt. "It's kinda cute." She is then handed the Inert Sugarcore, the scent of which gently wafts beneath her nostrils. "Huh? This one smells sweet…"

Fae says, "Uncle says that item makes its own sugar."

"What, really? Do you know how it works, Mr. Co?" Clarisse snickers at this, though Cyrus does not comment on the matter.

"Paralysis prevents the creature to which this core belongs from regulating its functions. Once paralyzed, the core produces sugar at an irregular rate." He chuckles, pushing the Redglass Shell towards her. "A curious item, to be true."

Taking the Redglass Shell into her hands, the girl turns over the jewel, marveling at the glossy surface. "This red color is pretty! I just wanna look at this forever." Her eyes then glance at the Cloudy Crystal. "Ooh, what's this one? It's so much cloudier than the other ones." She sets the minerals aside to flip through a few pages of her tome, her expression showing genuine surprise as she looks up and says, "This one's not even in my book." She then watches as Cyrus pulls the Azure Core from his pocket; as he hands it to her, he apologizes for piercing through it with his katana. "Don't worry about it, Mr. Co!" Holding it up before her eyes, she takes note of something unique. "It's so clear! I can see Ms. Mirina over there!" She holds up a hand, waving at Mirina, who waves in return.

Amy leans over to stare into the core as well. "Hey, she's right."

"You guys are so nice to me; you always do your best to show me as many new materials as you can." She then hugs Amy, squeezing as tightly as she can. A wide smile forms her countenance now, and though her eyes are closed, the Seekers can only assume that they currently sparkle like stars. "Thank you so much, everyone."

Amy giggles in turn, returning the child's embrace as she spins in place. "Oh, the pleasure was ours, little one!" The young girl is then set down; she thanks the Seekers one more time for their assistance after taking a moment to sketch the materials not yet cataloged in her tome. As she departs, she bids the party a cheerful farewell. Amy proudly rests her hands on her hips, a confident smile forming on her lips. "Now I'd say that was a job well done." She looks over to see Mirina approaching; "Would you not agree, Matron?"

She giggles. "I certainly would; I appreciate the effort you guys put in. That little lady's sure got a lot of energy."

Rolling her shoulder, Clarisse says, "She'll need it while she's running through Yggdrasil."

"Were you all like that when you were young?"

Lissa grins as she glances at Clarisse, who can only frown in response. "Little Reese was quite the troublemaker from what I've been told."

"Quiet, you." Looking to Cyrus and Amy, she asks, "What about you two?" They both tilt their heads in an inquisitive manner, almost as if to imply they are unsure of Clarisse's meaning. "Don't play dumb; I bet Amy was super hyper." She frowns upon gazing at Cyrus. "Co…not so much; you spent most of your time in bed for 6 years, right?" He nods, saying noting further. "Yeah…"

Pointing at Amy, Cyrus says, "Amy wasn't nearly as much of a social butterfly when she was a kid. She was actually quite reserved."

Mirina adopts a surprised expression at this. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"It's because I had no control over my strength back then; I was so afraid of hurting people that I cut myself off from them. Well…I was also bullied a lot; Cyrus was the only kid who didn't treat me as if I was some kind of freak." She takes a moment to hug him, a slight blush forming on her cheeks as she says, "Thanks for that."

"I don't deserve that gratitude, Amy; I was only acting as I ought to."

Crossing her arms, Mirina says, "And to think, you've both made such strong names for yourselves as explorers. It's kind of interesting to learn that your development was so different from the end result I've come to know." She shrugs, letting a chuckle slip as she hands the party a sum of 30000 ental. "That little girl really appreciates what you do for her."

Fae's eyes light up at the sight. "That's a lot of money…"

"Be sure not to spend it all in one place." Mirina suddenly adopts a serious expression as she looks to Cyrus. "Before you go, there's a request that came in not too long ago; it's from Thadius and Mia."

"What's the problem?"

"There's talk that their marriage might be canceled!" The party's eyes go wide at this. "From what I've heard, Mia's father came back from abroad and immediately demanded they call off the wedding." Cyrus brings his palm to his face, eliciting a loud smack that sounds throughout the entire bar. "I didn't think you'd feel that strongly about it. Um, normally we wouldn't involve ourselves in a personal issue like this…but…"

Cyrus holds up his hand to stop her. "Though we don't know them too well, they are still acquaintances whose happiness I would hate to see shattered."

The party's attention is directed to a table near a window, which is where Thadius sits alone. "Thadius, Mia, and her father are all in here now. I only ask that you all do what you can."

Looking to her brother, Amy asks, "Should we go and get Gwenivere?"

He shakes his head. "We can handle this matter. Let's go." He leads his party over to the table, first addressing Thadius. "It's been awhile, ol' chap."

Thadius rises from his seat to shake Cyrus' hand. Though he puts forth a smile, his features make it clear that he is in distress. "I take it you've accepted my request? Thank you." He hesitates for a moment, but eventually says, "The other day, I met the father of my betrothed for the very first time. Rather than give us his blessings, however, he said he would never allow his daughter to marry a…" He falls silent, in part out of no desire to repeat what is surely a slew of racial slurs towards Celestrians, but also out of respect for Fae's presence. "We could elope, of course, but I want to do this right, and Mia wants her family to be there."

Looking up to Thadius, Fae asks, "Why won't he let you get married? Isn't Ms. Mia happy with you?"

"She certainly made that clear to him, young lady, but her father…well, let's just say he doesn't like Celestrians all that much."

"B- But Ms. Matron is a Celestrian, and she's really nice! My teacher is a Celestrian, too."

"Truth be told, I did not wish to burden you all with this, but Mia insisted."

Lissa nods to this as she says, "I guess we're talking to her next." She and her comrades bid a momentary farewell to Thadius before stepping over to address Mia. Curiously, the woman sits alone, occasionally sipping from a tall glass of wine. Taking a seat, Lissa lets out a sigh. "Girl, I know that feeling; wanna talk about it?"

"T- Thanks, Lissa. Thanks for accepting my request." Looking to the others, she blushes as she motions to make an apology. "I don't mean to drag you all into this, but I don't want to give up on my marriage. Thadius is the only man I've ever met who loves me for who I am; I need my father to understand why he's so important to me."

Balto asks, "Are you and your father on speaking terms?" Mia shakes her head to this, causing the Hound to let out a whine. "That is troubling. Not at all ideal."

"Hey, Cyrus? You're married and all; did you ever go through this with your wives?"

His expression becomes conflicted. ' _That's a difficult one, to be true._ ' After taking a moment to think on it, he gives her a reply. "Yes, but nothing like this. Gwenivere and I faced many troubles during the romance leading up to our wedding, but her parents were not among those issues."

"M- May I ask?"

"Well, um…" He rubs the back of his head, not at all certain on how to explain himself. "As you know, Gwenivere is a noble, the niece of the Province of Nature's current Overlord. The thought of her wasting her influence on a commoner instead of a noble house was unconscionable. I, well…many people have hired assassins to get rid of me."

Mia holds a hand up to her mouth, her eyes putting her shock and horror on display. "That's horrible…I suppose it's a good thing you're so strong."

Glancing at her brother, Amy sighs at this. Crossing her arms, she looks to Mia as she says, "It's in part because of those failed assassinations that he's this way, Mia; they've been trying to kill him since he was 10."

"W- What?! Goodness, that sounds awful."

"It certainly was, but my solution was easy compared to yours. I only needed to get rid of the assailant; you very well can't just commit to such an action against your dad. I don't have my family anymore, save for my adoptive mother, but I honestly can't imagine how I'd handle her rejecting someone I wished to marry."

"I thought that perhaps my father would be willing to listen to a third party about this; honestly, I'm surprised he agreed to show up at all. Do you think you'd be willing to talk to him?" The party nods to her, causing a smile to form on her face. "Thank you so much."

As the party steps over to meet Mia's father, they can hear him muttering to himself about being dragged to this location against his will. Upon noticing the Seekers' presence, he turns to face them. His features are rough, with his hardened eyes suggesting he has a history on the battlefield. Scanning the party, his attention falls to Cyrus and Fae. "An Earthlain trying to make a name for himself as a Masurao?" He scoffs, "Your kind are certainly never lacking in creativity." Gesturing towards Fae, he asks, "Should a child be hanging around a bunch of explorers?"

Resting his hand on Fae's head, Cyrus says, "This young lady is a proud member of the Seekers, sir; she has plenty of combat experience, and is the cornerstone of no less than two of our party compositions."

"The Seekers? You lot? And what would the legendary Seekers want with me?" He takes a second to think on the matter before his eyebrow twitches. "Let me guess. My daughter put you up to this. Wants to know why I won't give my blessing."

Fae nods to this, making an effort to hide the fact that this man intimidates her. "That's right, sir. Mr. Thadius says you don't like him, but I don't get why."

"You're a bit young to understand, young lady, but I'll tell you all. I don't trust Celestrians."

She tilts her head at this, placing a finger to her chin as she asks, "What do you mean?"

"Brounis are fine; they work with herbs to make advances in medicinal practices. But Celestrians? How can I trust someone who dabbles in the dark arts? No good can come from that witchcraft." His sights are set on Cyrus again as he asks, "You're the boy who founded the Seekers, right? The one with the Runic Eye?" He nods. "I can't rightfully claim to know what your world is like, or why the Earthlains there would need magic, but that stuff is dangerous. That said, I've heard that you're also a warrior, so I take it you understand the value of training yourself in bravery, zeal, and discipline." Though Cyrus remains silent at the accusation, Mia's father seems set in his viewpoint. "I can tell from the look in your eyes." Looking to Amy, he follows, "The young Pugilist there, too."

Closing his eyes, Cyrus says, "There is more to becoming stronger than mastering martial skill. I was born with access to powerful magic, but lacked control over it. I feared that power, despite it being my own…because I gave in to the fear that others had placed in me." He opens his eyes again, looking to Mia's father with a stern gaze. "I desired power, power great enough to protect those I cared about. I've trained in the ways of the sword, katana, lance, bow, and even martial arts."

"Impressive, especially for one so young." He frowns as he says, "A shame you are missing an arm, though; you can't even wield a bow in that state. A damn shame."

"I lost this because I was lacking in an area that had nothing to do with physical strength. There…was more to protecting that which was precious than just swinging a sword around. I lacked confidence in myself, and my former friend saw that as reason to doubt our kinship." Resting his hand in his pocket, he heaves a sigh as he shakes his head. "I've since then ceased withholding my magic; in combining the arcane with martial skill, I've drawn a step closer to the power I once sought."

"Hmph, perhaps you have, but there's a distinct difference between you and that pipsqueak – he can't lift a sword, and I doubt his fancy books will be enough to protect my Mia. Then again…if he thinks he has what it takes, tell him that he can prove he's a real man by challenging the Tutelary Forest himself. Alone." Most of the party goes wide eyed at this proposal; Cyrus simply heaves a loud sigh of exasperation before slamming his face against a wall. "Hmph, you don't think he can handle it?"

Ignoring his now bleeding forehead, Cyrus turns to the man and says, "It's not that. I'm just frustrated by challenges like this because they're insipid and entirely lacking any semblance of effectiveness."

"Oh? How do you figure?"

"Thadius is no fighter. Challenging the Yggdrasil Labyrinth isn't some bloody game; trained soldiers can barely handle what awaits within. To challenge Yggdrasil solo, even if it's just the First Stratum, is a significant undertaking; all Thadius would be doing by accepting this challenge is proving he has the resolve to meet your outlandish demands. It would legitimately be more practical for him to face you in a duel."

Mia's father can only let out a loud, hearty laugh at the idea. "That twig couldn't take me."

"Perhaps not, but that isn't the point; what matters is that he's not afraid to do so – that he's willing to even stand against you if it means making Mia's happiness a reality. In that sense, I have a great deal of respect for him. Even if he can't beat you, at least he won't be throwing his life away needlessly." He pinches the bridge of his nose as a pained expression overtakes him; the others assume the injury of his forehead is starting to sink in. "By the gods, man, think of your daughter; Mia will be devastated if Thadius dies."

"I expected more from you. You've been through how many Labyrinths now?"

"This is my fourth, and it's the first one since Etria where I've done any significant amount of solo exploration. Tell me. Are you really going to run the risk of denying your daughter the right to be with the one person who gives her confidence just to satisfy your own vision for her future?"

Crossing his arms again, Mia's father gives a resolute stare as he says, "I've given my ultimatum; we are done here." Cyrus remains motionless for a moment, returning the stare in turn. "Do you intend to take on the challenge in his stead? That won't help his case."

"I'd be willing to, but it isn't my place to make that call." He motions for his team to follow. "Let's go, Seekers." They return to Mia and relay the information they've gathered. Cyrus sighs as he takes a seat across from her. "This is difficult; why can't it just be another monster to kill? I'd even take a fetch quest."

"My father has always been protective, but now he's just making excuses. Even if Thadius could fight, my father would just spin the tale differently."

Clarisse sighs at this. "You'd think fears wouldn't run that deep anymore. It's easy to see something as strange or terrifying when you have no experience with it." She glances over to see Mirina chatting with Aria's Guild, shading her eyes as she follows, "I grew up with a bunch of Celestrian kids; they'd practice magic every day, so I eventually got to the point where it stopped being interesting…now it's kinda mundane."

Amy says, "It's the same in Erdboden. Our realm is so saturated in aether that it's incredibly rare for people to be born without a talent for it. For us, magic is so common that we can't imagine living without it. Your father's worldview is just…alien to me."

"I- I don't know what to do, everyone…"

Rising from his seat, Cyrus says, "We'll talk with Thadius and try to plan something." His party returns to Thadius, who now sips a cup of coffee to pass the time. After relaying the words of Mia's father, Cyrus sighs. Thadius takes a cloth and wipes the man's forehead of the thin trail of blood that has reached his nose. "Oh, thanks."

"You didn't have to get so angry on my behalf, but I do appreciate it. So, he said I should challenge the forest myself?"

Cyrus nods. "Yes, and it is legitimately one of the dumbest proposals I have ever heard. It's frustratingly stupid, almost insulting in how it completely misses the point."

"I'm going." Cyrus' expression suggests that he either didn't hear this declaration, or that he's dumbfounded by it. Regardless, Thadius rises from his seat and bolts out of the tavern after placing the fee for his coffee on the table.

Lissa's eyebrow twitches at the sight. "Please tell me that didn't just happen."

Mia steps over, her eyes filled with worry as she asks, "What happened with Thadius?"

Rising from his seat, Cyrus says, "That daft dastard just ran off to Yggdrasil." He snaps his fingers to summon his katana, which he secures to his left arm. "Seekers, we're heading out!" As he and his party rush out of the tavern, Cyrus has to motion into an emergency halt to avoid crashing into Egar. Letting out a sigh of relief, he says, "A thousand pardons, Guildmaster; I was not expecting you."

"Pay it no heed; it is rare to see you all so flustered. Has something happened?" After the party gives a brief explanation, he nods. "Now that you mention it, I passed a flustered Celestrian earlier while returning from the first floor."

Fae looks up to Cyrus as she says, "If it's the first floor, we should be able to reach him before anything bad happens."

"Agreed." He picks up Fae and rests her on his back. "Hold on tight, little angel." Looking to Egar, he gives a quick bow. "I thank you for your help, Guildmaster, but I beg your leave, for we must make haste."

"Of course. Tarry no longer, Seekers."

The party rushes to the Labyrinth, stepping up to the first floor. A quick look around the initial clearing of the first floor reveals no trace of Thadius. Amy brings everyone's attention to the map, where a single FOE sits in the middle of the floor. "That's not supposed to be there, but I bet that's where we'll find him. Let's move!" When the party turns the corner to arrive at the bottom edge of B4, they are immediately met with the sight of an Owl Beast; worse still, Thadius is collapsed at its feet. "Crap."

Lissa preemptively deploys a bunker while Cyrus charges ahead into the fray. "Amy, I'm ending this in two hits; grant me Overexertion." Glancing back, he looks to Clarisse and says, "Don't worry about Balto – Target Arrow is all we need."

"Got it." She is the first to act, firing an arrow coated in a debilitative substance that weakens the creature. "It's your turn, Munchkin!"

Fae tosses a Dark Bomb at the beast, aiming so that her bomb explodes right in its eyes. The effort is successful, allowing both Cyrus and Amy to avoid the incoming bear hug as the former stabs his katana into the creature's flesh to lower its defense even further. With the effects of Overexertion in effect, Cyrus sheathes his blade and orders the others to fall back. The Owl Beast is at least still aware of his presence, which he uses to his advantage as a means of baiting the target. As the Owl Beast draws near, Fae sneaks in a use of Smokeblight, likely wanting to grant Cyrus a bit of insurance. His Runic Eye takes on a yellow glow as a smirk forms on his lips. ' _How considerate, Fae._ ' He steps into a drawing slash, unleashing a bolt of lightning that flies into the sky.

The Owl Beast leaves no remains to note its previous existence; all that remains are a slew of feathers. Cyrus sheathes his blade and rushes over to Thadius' form with Fae at his side. The latter of the two turns Thadius over, letting out a sigh of relief as she realizes that, "He's still breathing. These wounds are really bad, but they won't kill him." She turns around upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. A guard arrives on the scene, soon looking to an unseen group as he calls out to them. "Huh?" When the guardsman asks if the unconscious person is Thadius, she nods. "Yes sir, that's right."

"An older Therian sent us out here to find him, but it looks like you beat us to it."

Amy's attention is caught by this. "Wait, surely you don't mean Mia's father?" She shakes her head. "It doesn't even matter; did you bring a stretcher?"

"Yes ma'am; you can leave the rest of this to us." With Fae's assistance, the guard corps performs first aid to treat Thadius' immediate injuries. He is then carefully placed on a stretcher. "We will transport him back to Iorys from here." Rather than settle for this, the Seekers accompany the guards, providing additional support when the occasional Random Encounter bars the path. Once everyone is out of the Labyrinth, the Seekers leave Thadius in the hands of the guards to report back to Mia.

She rises from her seat and rushes over to them; her hair is suffering from split ends, a sight usually seen only on Jenetta, and her expression is mixed with both optimism and apprehension. "How'd it go? Did you find my Thadius?!"

Fae says, "An Owl Beast ended up on the first floor somehow; it beat Mr. Thadius in a fight."

"N- No…it can't be…" She falls into a nearby empty seat, her face going pale. "Is he…dead?"

"No, we saved him, so please don't cry."

"I'll go to him; he should be at a nearby clinic, right?"

She doesn't actually wait for a proper answer before running off, leaving the Seekers at a loss on how to next proceed. Seeing that Mia's father is present, Cyrus and Amy walk over to him. "You lot again. Good on the lad for trying, but it's bloody pathetic how quickly he got beaten bloody."

Crossing her arms, Amy says, "I'll have you know that he got dealt a hand that was rife with bullshit. Thadius fought an Owl Beast, which isn't supposed to be on the first floor. The fact that he's still alive is a miracle in itself."

"Hmph, so you say, but I can't let Mia settle for that boy…still, at least he's proven he's serious about it." Looking to Cyrus, he follows, "Perhaps I should have listened to you; had I known the little twig would be that crazy about this, I would have trained him myself. If he can survive that, then we'll talk." He scoffs, motioning to walk away as he says, "It would be better to tell them face-to-face. After all, I'm sure one of them is bound to still be bedridden." Looking to the duo again, he says, "I suppose those two are in your debt…not only for this, but also the ring and the dress. Thanks."

Cyrus grins at the man as he says, "Don't forget about us when they send out the invitations."

He scoffs. "A cheeky one; I'll give you that. I left a token of my own gratitude with Mirina. You can collect it from her. We're done here."

Mirina steps over as the man leaves, handing two bottles of Hamao Prime to Amy. "Good work, guys." She steps to the side to as the rest of the party arrives. "I was a bit worried, but I'm glad everything worked out. It's a pain how far back the wedding's been pushed because of this training nonsense, but at least it's no longer canceled." She crosses her arms, letting out a huff as she looks to the exit of her establishment. "What a tedious father, though. I mean, he's not a bad guy; he actually came by to apologize for the trouble he caused."

Fae holds her hands to either side of her head, a confused and troubled expression overtaking her features. "I don't get it. If he was gonna do what Uncle said, why did he waste time and let Mr. Thadius get hurt?"

Mirina crouches down and says, "It's easy to think you can say anything to family, but the truth is that being honest becomes more difficult the closer you are." She looks to Amy and Cyrus as she asks, "That's the case with you two, isn't it?" They shake their heads. "Come now. Be honest."

Amy holds up her left hand to show Mirina the pinky ring that rests on it. "Cyrus has a matching ring on his right hand. Both of these were made by his father when we were kids, and we ended up getting them blessed by Sylphs."

"Wait, really?"

Cyrus nods. "The circumstances behind that are a bit long-winded, so I'll spare you the details. The important thing to take away is that these rings connect the two of us on an emotional level. So long as we wear these, hiding our feelings from each other is impossible."

"To be true, Cyrus is probably the only person I can be truly honest with in every capacity." She locks her arm in his. "He understands me better than anyone else, and I him in turn. I don't think I'd have this any other way."

Mirina chuckles at the thought. "I suppose there's an exception to everything. In any case, I hope you'll stop anyone who tries to do something that dangerous. Speaking of danger, you lot finished up the 19th floor, right?" They nod to her. "That means you'll be fighting a Stratum Boss soon. Please be careful out there."

Fae giggles at this. "You worry too much, Ms. Matron. We'll always come back." A thought suddenly occurs to her, causing her eyes to light up as she turns to face Cyrus. "Uncle, we need to turn in our map."

"Ah, that's right; I had almost forgotten." He motions into a bow directed at Mirina before resting Fae on his shoulder. "If you'll excuse us, Matron." The group bids her a farewell before making way for the Council Hall. Ramus is here, as usual, and looks to be enjoying some light reading. He bookmarks his current place upon noticing the Seekers' presence. Holding up his hand in greeting, Cyrus says, "Good day, your highness."

"Good day to you all as well. What brings you here?" Amy hands him the map of the 19th floor. Taking a moment to overlook its contents, the prince rotates the parchment in his grip a few times. "This…certainly looks complicated." He furls the map, returning his attention to the party as he asks, "Are you familiar with the legend shared by all races?" Seeing the Erdboden duo tilt their heads inquisitively, he chuckles. "I suppose not. It is said that whoever reaches the top of Yggdrasil will be granted their greatest desire." Looking to Clarisse and Lissa, a nostalgic smile forms on his face. "When Clarisse and Lissa shared their dreams with me, I was quite surprised."

Clarisse chuckles at the memory in turn, crossing her arms as she says, "That old wish of mine still stands. The legend says that no wish is out of bounds. The power to rule; knowledge of the world's most intimate secrets; unparalleled gear…you could truly ask for anything."

Looking to the remaining three members of the party, Ramus says, "I can't help but wonder what it is you'd wish for."

Fae hops down from Cyrus' shoulder to say, "I think I'd wish to be six years older."

"Oh? Why six, specifically?"

She pushes her fingers together, a blush forming on her cheeks as she replies, "Because, um…th- that's how old Prince Hayato is." She is promptly scooped into Amy's crushing embrace as the Pugilist gushes over how cute her wish is. "Ack! Aunt Amy! Too tight!"

"It's just so precious." Setting the child down, she takes a moment to ease out Fae's clothes. "I can't say I ever really thought of what kind of wish I'd want." A moment passes before her expression brightens. Tapping the bottom of her fist to an open palm, she transitions to point at Cyrus as she says, "Wait, I just remembered! I want the ability to teleport using Light Magic! You know, to complement your Dark Magic."

"Being able to warp has practical applications, too; you could make house calls all over the world, which would also give you another excuse to travel."

"Nii-chan, you're supposed to set an example, not enable my vices."

He shakes his head to this. "Not quite. Ha-chan is supposed to set an example since she's your older twin; that leaves me free to spoil you."

"You know…that's a good point, actually."

Pointing at the two of them, Lissa shouts, "Don't you give in to his logic so easily!" Ramus chuckles at this, holding a fist to his mouth as he turns away to stifle a laugh. "You should scold them, too, Prince."

"Actually, do you even have a wish, Co?"

"I did, once, but I can't say it's stuck with me."

"What did you want, Uncle?"

"A second chance at happiness." Fae tilts her head at this, not understanding his meaning. She asks if he's unhappy right now, to which he can only chuckle as he rubs her head. "Not quite, little one. Two years ago, the god of time gave me a chance to switch over to an alternate timeline where I never got the Runic Eye, specifically, a timeline in which I wasn't born with the defect that grants me my magic potential."

Clarisse asks, "So how'd that life play out?"

"To be blunt, I had never thought myself capable of smiling so genuinely. The life the other me got to live was something I truly envied in my darkest moments." He sighs, shaking his head as he follows, "He and I would swap places, retaining the knowledge of the world we used to live in. I…couldn't go through with it, Clarisse; I couldn't take that away from him."

"Co, with all due respect, you should have gone for it."

"Then I wouldn't have gotten the chance to meet you or Lissa." Clarisse motions to refute this, only to falter and look away from him; the expression she now wears suggests confliction. "I was taught growing up that everything happens for a reason. Though I can't say I still fully agree with those teachings, I do attribute significance to many events." He glances over to Amy, who meets his sad gaze with her own. He sighs at this, recalling the specifics of the life he turned his back to. "That life would have been beautiful, but I'm happy with what I have now. Things can't be all bad if you lot are in it, right?" He rests his hand in his pocket whilst turning to address Ramus. "I can't say I have a dream that I can't grant by my own power, but if I think of one before the Labyrinth is cleared, I'll let you know."

"I look forward to that day, Cyrus, but try not to stress yourself over it. May I ask what's next for the Seekers?"

"We'll probably rest for the day and tackle the 20th floor during the evening. We fell asleep during our exploration of the 19th floor by mistake, so the time frame is a bit awkward now." The party bids Ramus farewell and departs from the Council Hall. Most of the party sets off for Jenetta's Inn, though Lissa and Fae elect to stay behind and sell their materials to Syrik. "Be safe on your way back."

Upon taking her place atop Lissa's shoulders, Fae pats her comrade on the head as she asks, "So what did you wanna wish for, Aunt Lissa?"

"Hm? Ah, my wish is a bit like yours, Fae."

"It is? So you want to be the same age as Uncle? Aren't you two already married, though?"

She chuckles at this. "Good guess, but nope. What I want is the power to freely warp between our world and Erdboden. That way, I can visit Cyrus whenever I wish, rather than having to wait years at a time."

"Years? That's gotta suck."

"It really does."

"Why don't you tell him that? I bet he'd visit way more often if he knew how you felt."

"Reese said the same thing not too long ago. It's…like Mirina said earlier; the closer you get, the tougher it is to be honest with someone." As a frown forms on her face, she's internally thankful that Fae cannot see her. "He has a lot going on, Fae; it's complicated."

"Hm…it shouldn't be." Lissa falls silent at this. "I mean, if you want to be with him, you could just tell him that. Uncle wants you around, Aunt Lissa…he's just really bad at saying it." She points ahead, "I can see Mr. Syrik's stall from here! Doesn't look like there's a line yet." She pats Lissa on the head twice. "We must hurry, Auntie! Onward!"

Lissa can't help but chuckle at this. "Right, right. Be sure to hold on, little one."


	39. A Mother's Resolve

**Chapter 39: A Mother's Resolve**

The previous jaunt through the Lucent Hollows, coupled with the emergency presented by Thadius' quest, rendered the Seekers more exhausted than they figured it would. In response, most of the party immediately retires. Of particular note are Cyrus and Fae, who both give up on the idea of walking upstairs in favor of simply collapsing on the couch. Before long, Jenetta's housecats take notice of them, and decide to climb atop the sofa as well. The most recent kitten wins the race to Fae's gentle embrace, leaving Mr. Friedrich and the others to settle for any other spots they can find. Lissa and Clarisse make way for the rooms upstairs, with the former of the two in a distinct hurry to remove her heavy armor.

Amy is the only one to remain awake, taking to the kitchen so that she may prepare the meals everyone will need for their upcoming evening exploration. ' _Maybe I'll go with karaage tonight._ ' Stepping into the kitchen, she runs the idea by Jenetta, looking to get a second opinion.

"Hm…isn't karaage best served fresh out of the fryer?"

"Yeah, it is, but there are recipes meant for takeout." She crosses her arms, adopting a contemplative stance so that she may think. "What to do…"

Putting her hands together, Jenetta dons a smile as she says, "You know…there is an idea I've been meaning to try." She cracks her knuckles, a grin forming as she says, "Go wash your hands, Amy; we've got work to do~"

The two finish their craft long in advance, granting Amy a chance to lie down. En route to the rooms upstairs, she crosses paths with Diana. "Heya, Mum; you doin' alright in this world?"

"I am adapting well enough, I'd say; I'd like to get in some field work, though."

"Have you talked with Cyrus about it?" Diana shakes her head, looking somewhat ashamed of the fact. "Why not? I'm sure it wouldn't be that difficult to slot you into a party."

"I can tell my boy has a lot of responsibilities here; I do not wish to add to his burdens."

Amy lets out a huff in response to this, crossing her arms and adopting a displeased expression. "Mum, you gotta grow out of that. Nii-chan is thrilled to have you with us." Diana's guilt-laden expression suggests that she is fully aware of this, which only adds to Amy's displeasure. "I think he fears the idea of you getting hurt; you know…after we all fought that Rampaging Roper?"

"That was an unforeseen circumstance, Amy; I don't hold that against him. I could never…"

"True, but he holds it against himself. You and Granny Mira are the only two he has left; I don't blame him for playing things close to the vest." She heaves a sigh, resting a hand on her hip as her expression eases into something softer. "You know, our fight with the Stratum Boss is right around the corner; perhaps you should ask him to let you be a part of the team that goes to slay it." She smiles as she follows, "I'll back you up, of course."

There is no immediate response, for Diana shifts her gaze to stare at nothing in particular while she gathers her thoughts. Her gaze is still avoiding Amy as she says, "That is awfully sweet of you, Amy." She looks to her comrade, a soft smile on her face, though her countenance suggests a persisting uncertainty. "I'm just worried, is all."

"Somehow, I don't think this is strictly about exploration."

Diana chuckles at this, waving a hand as she says, "You always were a perceptive one. You'll understand this one day. As a parent, there comes a time when you have to accept that your child doesn't need you anymore." A nostalgic smile graces her lips as she says this, her eyes adopting a distant visage. "He's…always been an independent child; to be true, he was often times the one taking care of me. I promised Denise that I'd always be there for him, but he's grown to become so competent." She chuckles again, folding her arms as she says, "He now runs a successful business; he's soon to govern an entire Province alongside Gwenivere; he handled the Void Dweller far better than I or the gods had expected of him."

"You're proud of all that, right?"

"But of course! However, it's also bittersweet. All of that success keeps my little boy away from me; I can't watch over him the way I used to." She gestures towards Amy as her eyes convey a tinge of sadness. "You know how closely danger follows at his heels."

"He can't rely on you forever, Master Annora. There's gonna be a point where he starts taking care of you instead. He's grateful, and I'm sure you know that. I hope you'll let him pay it forward."

"Adjusting to that will be difficult." A moment of silence falls between the two, though Diana is soon to break it on her own. "I thank you for this little chat, Amy; I think I'll have a talk with Cyrus once he wakes up." Amy cracks a smile at this, proudly resting her hands on her hips. To this, Diana offers a chuckle. "My, my, aren't we a prideful sort? You were with the exploration team last night, yes? Go get some rest of your own." With this, the two part ways. Several hours pass as Diana idles the hours away with a novel; the hour strikes 7PM as most of the exploration party awakes from slumber. ' _A Therian abandoning the path of the sword to pursue his dreams of being a scholar…_ ' As she turns another page, she can't help but think to herself, ' _Even across different worlds, we're all more similar than we'd like to believe._ ' Her attention is diverted when she takes notice of Cyrus approaching her. "Ah, hello, son…you still look tired."

He waves his hand dismissively at the notion, but his countenance is far from convincing. "No worries, Mom, I-" he is then cut off by a loud yawn that he cannot suppress. "Hoo~ that was a big one." After taking a moment to pop his back, he lets out a sigh of relief. "Ah, that's nice. Anyway, I haven't arrived at a bad time, have I?"

"No, certainly not." She bookmarks her reading material before rising to her feet. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yes. Lady Gwenivere wishes to make an effort to obtain the Hippogryph's Conditional Drop; for the setup we have in mind, we have determined that your presence will be quite helpful."

"Oh? What can I do?" Upon hearing mention of the Tri-Magic Union Skill, Diana can only let out a chuckle. "We're going for the Common Magic boost, are we? I'm not surprised. I wonder what sort of interesting setup you will entertain me with."

"It's more so Gwenivere's than it is my own. However, I do have something in mind for the upcoming 4th Stratum Boss encounter." He blushes, scratching at his cheek as he says, "I know it's been a long time since I've asked for your help like this, but I was wondering if you'd be our MVP for the b-" He is promptly cut off as Diana rushes over to pull him into a crushing embrace. Her expression conveys unbridled joy as she lifts him into the air. "Whoa, it's OK!" She sets him back onto the floor, electing to hold him close. "Did I miss something?"

"You could say that, but it's not important. Just leave the heavy work to your mother; I'll make you proud."

"Aren't I supposed to be the one making you proud?"

"Cyrus, you already have." She pulls away from him, allowing him to see the expression she wears. A smile, warm and sincere, traces on her lips; her ruby-colored eyes sparkle as they gaze into his. "I am beyond proud to call you my son. For all your life, you've worked to exceed my expectations; all I can ask of you now is to never forget about me, even as you move forward and eventually leave me behind."

"But I still need your help. Who's going to teach me how to be a good parent?" Diana momentarily adopts a shocked expression before she bursts into laughter. "Wh- I don't find this to be very amusing, Mom!" Her laughter persists, causing him to frown as his blush intensifies. Clarisse pokes her head out from around a corner to ask if he's ready to go. Though he does not wish for her to see him as he is now, he turns to say, "Yes, I'll be with you shortly!" The trek to the Hippogryph is made short, for the party starts at the lowest floor of the Fetid Necropolis and makes its way down to the Jagged Reach. True to Cyrus' report, the Hippogryph has finally returned. "Alright, let's run through the plan one last time."

Gwenivere takes a moment to stretch, popping her back in much the same way Cyrus does. Hayato flinches upon hearing the sound her bones make as she does this, just as he tends to. "Our aim is to secure an instantaneous victory through my use of Clever Strike." Looking to Clarisse, she says, "Our Rover here will provide debuff support with Target Arrow; Cyrus, you and Lord Hayato will provide High Ground and a Bravant, respectively." Turning to Diana, she says, "In order to trigger Common Magic, Master Annora shall make use of Tri-Magic." Gesturing to herself, she follows, "Tri-Magic only requires four people, allowing me to trigger my own Union Skill to make use of Enchant."

Nodding to this, Hayato says, "This will let you strike the Hippogryph's weakness without my help, though you are losing out on Dance Oracle support."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "Such are the constraints imparted by Turn 1 strategies." Looking to Gwenivere, he says, "I trust in you, Milady; please, show me what you can do."

"With pleasure, my darling."

Before the party steps forward, Cyrus gestures for Diana to take to the front line at his side. "Is there a particular reason for this?"

"You shall receive the boons of High Ground, allowing Wraith Explosion to deal more damage; think of it as insurance. I don't expect Tri-Magic to do that much damage without buff support, and Milady's use of Clever Strike might not be enough on its own since we're not entirely optimized for this yet."

She crosses her arms, giggling at his approach. "You always were the sort to play things safe." Looking to the Hippogryph, she snaps her fingers to summon three wraiths. "Still, that's a commendable trait for a leader to have. Shall we begin?" The Hippogryph turns to face the party as they commit to an approach. ' _So much for a preemptive strike. Oh well._ ' Triggering the use of a Union Skill between her and everyone else except Gwenivere, she snaps her fingers to strike the opposition with a raging inferno, followed shortly by a blizzard, and then a powerful bolt of lightning as a finisher. The Hippogryph is still standing after this, and though its injuries are blatant, it clearly has much fight left within it. Diana clicks her tongue at this, a visible look of frustration upon her countenance. ' _This power loss truly is severe. I'm normally prohibited from using spells like that because of how much damage they can cause._ ' Her frustration deepens as she grinds her teeth. ' _And yet that bombardment barely fazed the creature._ '

Clarisse fires her debilitative arrow as Gwenivere enchants the party's weapons. "Alright, we're good to go!"

Hayato tosses a Bravant to Gwenivere, who promptly drinks it to imbue herself with its power boost. She then transforms into a raven, flying to the top of a nearby cliff to gain the high ground over her opponent. She returns to her human state mid-flight, intent on letting gravity empower her swing. Observing this sight from below, Cyrus shades his eyes and thinks, ' _That…yeah, that won't be enough._ ' He turns to Diana as he says, "Master, we're going to need Wraith Explosion."

"Understood." She then warps to the top of the same cliff Gwenivere flew to. "My dear wraiths, it's time to show this beast the power you possess." The once blue orbs spinning around her turn red before converging into a singular existence. She then motions her finger downwards as she gestures towards the Hippogryph. Gwenivere has already flown back to the rest of the party as the orb makes contact with the Hippogryph. What follows is a massive explosion that bathes the party's opponent in shimmering flames; brief screeches of agony can be heard before the roaring inferno drowns out the beast completely. When the flames disperse, all that remains is a Gryphon Wingpaw, as well as the Conditional Drop the party fought for. ' _Child's play._ '

She warps to Cyrus' side as he steps over to pick up the Conditional Drop. In his hand is the barbed talon of the Hippogryph. He turns it over in his grip, noting its somewhat delicate structure. "This looks to be quite fragile." He uses magic to open the page of the Monstrous Codex that is dedicated to the Hippogryph. "Hm…so this is the Transient Pick; that makes sense." He hands this over to Gwenivere when she approaches. "This is what you were aiming for, Milady. May I ask why you were in such a hurry to procure this?"

"I…" She blushes, motioning to place a kiss on his lips instead of answering. "I am afraid that must remain as a surprise for now, Cyrus, but know that this is entirely worth it."

"Very well." He looks to the others as he says, "Excellent work, Seekers; we're heading back now."

As Cyrus pulls out the spool of Ariadne Thread, Clarisse asks, "We're exploring the 20th floor tonight, right? I wanna tag along."

"That can be arranged. If Fae is up for it, we can set out immediately."

Upon warping back to Iorys, Gwenivere elects to head to the marketplace alone so that the others may make their exploration preparations without delay. Cyrus complies with this notion, though he does suggest that Hayato accompany her. Gwenivere does not object, and quickly departs with Hayato at her side. Upon arriving at Syrik's stall, she carefully places the Transient Pick onto the counter. The merchant's face beams at the sight. "We're selling this to you, Syrik; I have a request."

"Ooh, a personal request from the Arcane Overlord?"

She giggles. "Indeed, good sir. I need you to fashion this into a sword."

"Consider it done, but the weapon is going to run you a high price; you're looking at no less than 435 thousand." Hayato clutches at his chest and recoils at the number. "Yeah…the price is steep, but I assure you the weapon will be of the highest quality."

Gwenivere nods to this, her confident expression unfazed by the lofty goal presented to her. "Understood. Though it will take some time, I will purchase this weapon." She takes hold of Hayato's hand and waves to Syrik. "Farewell, young merchant; we shall speak again some other time."

"Yep, take care!"

As the two depart from the marketplace, Hayato looks up to Gwenivere and says, "Being in love must be rough; I'd be at my wits' end trying to procure that kind of money, and it's just for a gift!"

Gwenivere has a short laugh at the notion. "I don't normally spend this much on my beloved, little prince. This is…a special occasion."

While these two make their way back to the inn, Cyrus' party has stepped up to the 20th floor, ready to commence with its exploration. Taking a moment to double-check if his katana is secure, his attention is caught by a brief flash of green light that overtakes Clarisse's form as she summons Balto. The Rover clutches at her chest after making use of the whistle, and though she doesn't sport any injuries, her face has grown pale and her breathing slightly more labored. Stepping up to her, Cyrus asks, "Clarisse, is that whistle safe to use? The more time passes, the more it seems to sap you of your strength."

She waves a hand dismissively at him, though her attitude is not terribly convincing. "That's just how the whistle works, Co. I've maximized its effectiveness now; in exchange for a lot of my own energy, Balto becomes that much better at his job." She breathes a sigh of relief, finally letting go of her chest as she rests a hand on his shoulder. She shoots a smile to her comrade, even presenting a thumbs-up for emphasis as she says, "In return, ol' Balto never lets me down; that's how our bond works." The expression Cyrus wears conveys his lack of confidence in her claims; Clarisse's smiles eases into something more subdued, though it does not disappear completely. Soon, it contorts into a grin as she jokingly asks, "Aw, come now; are you worried about me?"

"Of course I am."

"Eh?" She adopts a dumbfounded expression just as Balto arrives at the party's location. "Co, after everything you've done as a Phantom Fencer; you really think you're in a position to get on my case about something like this?"

"I'm not trying to be a hypocrite, Clarisse; I ju-"

She interrupts him by placing a finger to his lips. Her soft smile is retained as she stares into his eyes for a moment. She lets out a chuckle, her voice becoming softer in tone as she says, "I know that, dumbass. You're always asking us to trust you when you do stuff like this, yeah?" His expression shifts to convey guilt at this notion. "Alright then, so you've gotta trust us when we play the same card. Can you promise me that you'll be fair about this?"

She lifts her finger from his lips, silently implying that she expects a vocal answer. A moment passes before Cyrus says, "Yes…you have my word, Clarisse."

"Good. Since we're in agreement, I think I'll let you call me 'Reese' now." Her soft smile shifts once again, this time putting her conniving grin on display. Her head is turned upward ever so slightly so that she may look down upon him, though the notion is lost since she's shorter in stature. Regardless, there is a distinct arrogance to her tone as she says, "You should be grateful." Cyrus can only give a dumbfounded expression in response, which elicits a chuckle from Clarisse. She pokes his nose a single time, saying, "Boop", as she does so. She then walks away, not even providing a proper closing statement.

Cyrus sighs at this, rubbing the back of his head as he says, "My dad was right, Balto. The closer you get, the tougher it becomes to win an argument."

"Indeed, and this isn't even my Mistress' final form. She'll be as formidable as the Head Mistress soon enough, perhaps even more fierce." He looks up to Cyrus as he follows, "Let us join the others; we have work to do."

Not too far from the starting staircase is a warp crystal, one that can be approached from all four sides. As he watches Amy work on the map, Cyrus says, "The top side of this crystal won't go anywhere; unless this floor presents the wrapping effect the way the Misty Ravine did back in Tharsis, the dimensions of the map simply don't add up." He takes a single step forward before a thought occurs to him. "Oh, same applies to the left side of this crystal; we can map out the rest of this initial area before testing the right and bottom sides." His deductions prove to be true; the party passes the top side of the warp crystal without triggering its effects. They soon arrive at a dead end where Forest Wheat grows in abundance. Looking to Amy, Cyrus asks, "Pray tell, how big of a meal did you prepare?"

"It's dinner, essentially; why do you ask?"

"Hm…" He turns his attention back to the wheat stalks; their soft golden hue clashes with the blues and greens of the surrounding ore, making for a captivating sight as the bundles sway with the cavern's occasional breeze. "I think I'll reap some of these and prepare tomorrow's lunch in advance."

Lissa tilts her head at this. "Did you note a suitable camping ground somewhere?" He nods to this before pointing to a location not far away from the staircase. "Ah, I see. I must have missed that."

He gives her arm a light jab as he chuckles. "That's because you were too busy looking out for us."

Despite his jest, she smiles in kind, quickly changing this smile to a grin as she replies, "Now don't give me that. Need I remind you of the times we explored as a duo in Etria? Despite your confidence, you always were the meticulous sort." She giggles. "I bet you still have that notebook filled with our combat notes." He blushes and looks away from her, which elicits a burst of laughter. "Now what's with that look?!"

"I- It doesn't matter. Let's get moving." He walks off without another word, returning to the camping grounds to spend some time cooking several servings of Egg-in-a-basket for the Guild's next outing. The hour strikes 9PM as the party reaches the center of a small clearing in C7. A warp crystal lies to the east, though it is on the edge of the floor, so approaching it from the left will do nothing. A door lies to the west and a continuation of the current path waits to the north. Looking back to the route used to get here, Cyrus says, "Let's break that crystal in D7; I'd like to confirm what lies beyond."

Shattering the crystal generates enough noise to attract the attention of four monsters. Three Hypno Bats occupy the back line while a new Saurian variant occupies the front. In its grip is a mighty silver hammer; the shaft of this hammer is red, though it is difficult to tell if this is a part of its composition aesthetic or if it's fresh blood. Amy assumes a defensive stance as Lissa preemptively deploys a Bunker and lets loose a roar from her throat. Fae quietly tosses a Panic Bomb at the bats, successfully inflicting the effects of the Ailment on each of them. The bats, in their panic, attack the Seekers' front line, allowing Lissa to counter all three hits through the use of Counter Guard. Though her attacks do not slay the bats, they are left open for someone else to clean up.

Clarisse and Balto fail to bind the arms of the Hammer Saurian, allowing it to take a wide swing at the front line. It initially aims at Amy's head; the blow does not strike cleanly, for Amy absorbs the brunt of the hammerhead with her forearms. The force of the impact is enough to send her crashing into both Cyrus and Lissa, though this just gives the latter another chance to fire a bullet at the assailant. Amy and Cyrus quickly pick themselves up to retaliate. Amy surges her fist forward, intent on using Titan Killer to bring an end to the Saurian. Though her fist connects cleanly, the beast only suffers considerable damage instead of being obliterated outright. ' _Wait…what? Does this thing resist Bash damage?_ ' She takes note of the Saurian's raised hammer. ' _Oh shit._ '

The swing never comes to pass, for a myriad of sharp, blade-like rippling winds cut into the form of the Saurian and its panicked companions. Though Cyrus fully intended for this use of Petal Scatter to slay the target, he settles for simply drawing the Saurian's attention. It instead directs its hammer swing at him, only for the Masurao to disappear from sight; the hammer bounces harmlessly off of Lissa's bunker as a result, not even putting a dent in the structure. The bats effectively kill each other off as Amy rushes in to deliver a standard punch. Though this fails to slay the Saurian, it fulfills its purpose of distracting the beast long enough for Cyrus to stab it in the heart. The creature hits the cold ground with a thud, dropping its hammer in turn.

Sheathing his katana, Cyrus says, "Well fought, team. Fae, tend to Amy's wounds."

"Got it!" She walks over and directs Amy to have a seat while the others investigate this dead end. While nursing Amy's forearms, Fae can see that her comrade is reading through the Monstrous Codex with a serious expression on her face; though her arms are inactive, she turns the pages using magic. "What's wrong, Aunt Amy?"

She finds the page dedicated to the Hammer Saurian as Fae asks this. "I knew it – that particular Saurian was resistant to Bash damage; no wonder I couldn't hurt it."

Lissa steps over, glancing down at the Monstrous Codex in turn. "Immune to Panic. Hm…it has a Conditional Drop, too."

"Did you find anything, Aunt Lissa?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. This was just a dead end." Once Amy's treatment is complete, the party returns to the clearing to the north. Instead of taking the door, they proceed further along the path ahead. Instead of breaking the next crystal that bars the path, the Seekers continue on until they reach a dead end located at B6. Here, two guards carrying pickaxes can be seen. One is outfitted in gold armor; his companion wears silver. Lissa raises her voice to get the duo's attention; the guard clad in silver armor is the first to turn around.

As he rests his pickaxe over his shoulder, he adopts a confident posture. "Hoy, explo- Dame Elizabeth?" He offers a proper salute, which Lissa returns. He then asks, "What are you doing here? And Dame Clarisse, too? Has something happened to the prince?"

Lissa shakes her head to this. "Prince Ramus ordered the two of us to join a Guild so that we may assist with the exploration of Yggdrasil." She gestures towards Cyrus as she follows, "My husband has returned to this world, and acts as the leader of Seekers once again; I think it's only right that I join him."

Pointing at Cyrus, the guard in gold armor speaks. "So you're the mythical one; I'm surprised you actually exist. After all, there are few men brave enough, let alone crazy enough, to desire Dame Elizabeth's affection; fewer still daring enough to seek it. You lot here to mine ore as well?"

Fae shakes her head to this. "We're looking for the Stratum Boss, Mr. Guard."

Both guards share a laugh at this. "Wait, are you with the Seekers, little lady?" She nods twice, climbing onto Cyrus' back as she proudly declares her status as the Guild's Botanist. "Well I'll be. I never once thought a child could walk beside the Seekers; you must be really capable."

Amy removes Fae from Cyrus' person so that she may hug the child. "She most certainly is~" Looking to the guards, she asks, "I take it that you both are enjoying a day off?"

The guard in silver armor replies, "That's right. If we bring back a decent haul, merchants will happily take these cuts of ore off our hands for a handsome price."

Glancing at his comrade, the guard in gold armor offers a more cautionary approach. "Making money is all well and good, but we do need to be careful up here."

"I still say we should head deeper in to find better ore." Turning to the Seekers, he asks, "What's your take?"

Before answering, Cyrus takes a look at the map alongside Clarisse. The latter points to a dormant FOE, asking what it might be. When Balto mentions that this FOE is the Sonar Worm, Clarisse immediately shakes her head. "Yeah, no, screw that; don't go deeper; there are these nasty-looking worms up here."

Cyrus follows up on this by saying, "As your partner said – pursuing wealth is all well and good until it gets you killed. I can assure you that there will be more opportunities to strike it rich in the future. The reward is not worth the risk you'd entertain, and that's assuming the Sonar Worm is the only thing we need to worry about up here."

The silver-armored guard is visibly dejected by this unanimous decision, but reluctantly nods in agreement. A sigh escapes him as he says, "Yeah, I suppose you're right." He pats his comrade on the shoulder before pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "We'll warp out for now, but we're definitely coming back on our next day off."

After bidding the duo farewell, the party turns back to find a hidden passage among a cluster of crystals. To her surprise, Amy finds that, "This is an entry-point." She and the others step through, only to let out a collection of shocked gasps as they emerge in front of a warp crystal. Amy is the first to let out a loud sigh of relief when the crystal does not activate. "Holy crap, that's not cool. Fae warned us that a trick like this might be pulled at some point!"

Looking about the area, Cyrus can see another hidden passage marked by a cluster of crystals. "That shortcut over there is an exit-way. As for the crystal, we can approach from the top or the right. Going from the top will take us back to the start of the floor while the right…well, I have no idea, but it could lead to the entry-way of this shortcut." He takes another glance at the map in Amy's hand before saying, "Huh, that means the bottom side of the crystal near the stairs would have warped us here." Looking to Amy, he asks, "What do you propose as our next move?"

"Let's see where this crystal takes us." The party agrees to this and steps into the crystal's activation range. To the Seekers' surprise, they are warped to the far western edge of the floor. Amy looks around; she finds no door, and the only exit not related to the crystal is the exit-end of a shortcut. "Only two ways to go from here. Either we approach from the left and backtrack, or we go from the top and see where we end up next." The party decides to press on, approaching the crystal from the top side to end up at another crystal in E1. Amy calls for her comrades to huddle up. "Take a look at this. These four corner crystals link into each other in sequence."

Holding a hand to her chin, Clarisse says, "We still have that warp crystal in C7 to check out from the right side. I imagine that we'll have to explore all of the available paths in order to reach the boss anyway. Speaking of…" She looks to Cyrus and asks, "Do you sense anything?"

"I can sense the dragon's presence on this floor, but its aura is subdued, as if it's resting. We have a long floor ahead of us." He picks up Fae to let her rest on his back. "Try to conserve your strength, little one; it's…it's already bad enough that I'm about to push you to stay up late like this."

"I've stayed up way later studying for stupid ol' exams." She giggles as she pats him on the head. "This is nothing!"

Clarisse looks at Lissa as she says, "This child is too precious; we have to protect her."

"Now he's got you saying that?" Clarisse tilts her head at this, adopting a confused expression that implies she doesn't know what Lissa is referring to. To this, Lissa can only shake her head. "Oh never mind." This southwestern section of the floor is explored with an hour, though the only thing of interest that turns up is a Mine Point. "Guess we're going through this door now." Beyond the door lies two FOEs – one is the first Raging Tortoise the Guild has seen in a while; the other is a Sonar Worm, which causes Lissa's eyes to widen. "By the gods, I could never get used to this sight. I don't think I've ever stared directly into its maw before."

Clarisse takes several steps back. "That is so not right." She watches as Amy quickly draws the layout of this cramped cavern. "Do you have a plan, Stinger?"

She groans. "This entire setup is not ideal. Two crystals need to be broken, one of which is in the direct path of the tortoise."

Picking up the thread, Cyrus says, "It would be unwise to try and take two consecutive swings while the Raging Tortoise roams about. I suggest we take a swing at the left crystal to lure the Sonar Worm away."

Fae nods to this as she returns to the ground. "Then we take one free swing at the other crystal. It's slower this way, but safer, too." She looks around to check for enemies. Though she can see nothing, she senses a hostile presence all the same. "We should go back through the door first; it'd be real bad if we ran into monsters with that worm in here." Her suggestion is heeded without hesitation.


	40. The Hellhound in the Cavern

**Chapter 40: The Hellhound in the Cavern**

As the party returns to the clearing, they are immediately treated to the sight of the Nomad Guild facing off against a trio of enemies. Two Volt Crysts occupy the back line to offer support to a Hammer Saurian. Melissa unleashes a barrage of strikes at the Saurian in an attempt to disable its functions, only for her efforts to fail and deal little damage. She takes a wide step backwards as the Saurian raises its hammer. ' _What the Hell?!_ ' She shouts to her allies, "It resists Bash damage! Evelyn, try Armor Pierce!"

Cyrus interrupts this battle by tossing a rock at the Saurian. The creature turns around, revealing itself to be a Rare Breed. "Oh. That's unexpected." He looks to his comrades. "Change in plans; defensive maneuvers!" Seeing that the Saurian is enraged enough to charge at the Seekers, Lissa preemptively deploys a bunker in hopes of drawing attention from both the Rare Breed and the Volt Crysts; she then triggers a Union Skill on her own to call forth a Blessing. In response to this, Fae triggers another Union Skill between herself and Clarisse, calling upon Guard Order to bolster the party's defenses.

This proves to have been largely unnecessary, for the Saurian does indeed target the Bunker instead of the party. Balto takes negligible damage from the breadth of the swing, but this is promptly healed by Lissa's Blessing. Though he and Clarisse fail to bind the creature's arms, Cyrus does gain useful information. ' _Mirror Moon triggers after the Rare Breed acts. That's disconcerting._ ' As Clarisse preps Target Shot, the Saurian takes another swing at Balto and the Bunker, this time dealing considerable damage to the Hound. ' _He's not going to survive a second one of those!_ ' He charges in and stabs the Saurian in the chest, forcing the opponent to fall back. Realizing that this isn't enough, he looks back to Clarisse while triggering a Union Skill. "Reese, we're going on the offensive!"

There is a distinct fire in the woman's eyes as she nocks her arrow. Her voice carries with it a copious amount of hatred and animosity as she takes aim at the Saurian. "No one hurts my puppy!" The arrow is then set to fly, quickly piercing the Saurian in between the eyes. The creature falls over, dead, as Cyrus wrenches his blade from its form. He returns it to its sheath, only to motion into using Petal Scatter, which outright slays one of the Volt Crysts. The remaining creature, in its panic, attacks Lissa, only to lose its life as she counters with a point blank shot. Clarisse rushes over to Balto, who is currently being treated by Fae. She drops to a knee, quickly scanning her Hound for any additional wounds. "Balto? You OK?"

He looks to his mistress, cracking a smirk. "Mistress, I may be getting up there in years, but I am no fragile pup."

Knowing that Balto will be fine, Cyrus makes his way over to the Nomads to assess their well-being. "You lot alright?" As he asks this, Stacy has just finished healing the rest of Evelyn's injuries. ' _Dispersing the Miasma Armor to heal wounds? How curious. So this is how a Deathguard operates._ '

Cyrus snaps out of his reverie as Stacy approaches him. "Thank you for the assistance. We had just warped over here from the floor's entrance when those enemies showed up out of nowhere."

Amy steps over and asks, "You came this way first? I don't envy you." Her expression lights up as she puts her hands together. "Oh, I have an idea; how about you all dine with us?" Looking to her own comrades, she asks, "You guys are hungry by now, right?" They all shrug, but Clarisse's stomach growls quite loudly. Turning back to the Nomads, Amy smirks as she says, "You heard the Rover; dine with us!" This is less of a request and more of a direct order, for Amy walks over and grabs both Stacy and Melissa by the hand before leading them to an open space a distance away from the warp crystal. "Nii-chan, get Evelyn, would ya?"

Rather than being forceful like his sister, Cyrus gently takes hold of Evelyn's hand as he says, "This way, Lady Evelyn; your meal awaits." She can only chuckle at this before following at his side. A childish smile rests on Cyrus' face as he waits for Amy to reveal what it is she's cooked for the party tonight. She hands him what appears to be a meal encased in compact pizza dough. A cursory glance, as well as a whiff, leads him to ask, "A pizza puff?" She grins at him, commenting that he should have a taste first. "Very well." Biting into the meal reveals that his assumption was far from the reality. He pulls the puff away from his mouth as he chews his food to get a look at its contents. ' _I taste…curry? But the texture is like rice._ '

Within the pizza dough is rice that sparkles with a golden sheen. The dough's outer crust is crunchy, but the interior is soft and fluffy, acting as an accent for the contents therein. Melissa and Clarisse are already more than half-way through their serving, unable to hold back or show restraint. Amy says, "I was in the mood for curry, but Jenetta had this idea of stuffing the curry into pizza dough." Pointing at the curry puff in Amy's hand, Fae calls attention to the fact that there's only rice inside the pizza dough. "That's mostly correct, Fae, but there's also a coat of sauce."

Taking another look, Fae notices that there is a red layer in between the folds of the pizza dough; taking another bite, she realizes that the pressure forces the contents of this red layer to mix with the rice, adding to its flavor. After a moment of silence, Evelyn makes a comment of her own. "I taste ginger, garlic…" She takes another bite. "…and basil? None of those are in the actual puff, though."

Cyrus says, "Amy simmered the rice in the curry stock directly, allowing the grains to absorb the essence therein." Looking to her, he says, "What I have yet to figure out is how you managed to extract just enough of the stock to keep the rice from making the dough too soggy."

"Another of Jenetta's ideas this time, nii-chan. We actually cooked the rice inside the dough. The dough absorbed much of the excess moisture, but we did add a thin layer of salt to make sure nothing dried out." She looks over her meal for a moment before saying, "I had thought I was getting good at cooking, but that Jenetta is on another level entirely."

Stacy's eyes sparkle at the thought as she says, "Oh, I'm familiar with this technique; my mom made a dish like this once, except she made an omelet – it wasn't this compact either."

While turning towards Lissa's direction, Amy asks, "What'd you think, sis?" She is met with no response, for Lissa has fallen asleep; a content smile is on her face as her head rests on Cyrus' lap. "Did…did she really just fall asleep on us?"

Balto lets out a yawn, looking to Cyrus as he says, "I cannot blame her; the meal Jenetta prepared for me has left me quite tired in turn."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "I guess the itis is going to force us all into an early retirement for the night." He yawns, a smile forming as he says, "It's just as well; it is 1AM. Fae should be asleep anyway." On this note, the two parties pack up their belongings and depart from Yggdrasil. Cyrus is the one to carry Lissa's gear, with Amy carrying the woman herself – armor and all – en route to Jenetta's Inn. In turn, Fae rests upon Cyrus' back, having fallen asleep shortly after helping everyone pack their belongings. As he and his team draw near the front door, he thinks to himself, ' _Yeah, this shield is pretty heavy…_ '

When morning comes, the Seekers are quick to return to the Lucent Hollows. Before returning to where their exploration was halted, they elect to explore the rest of the southeastern section of the floor. Here, the party discovers a Chop Point as well as a warp crystal with only one side accessible; this same accessible side does not trigger the crystals functions. Looking at the map, Fae says, "There's probably a crystal in the middle of the floor somewhere."

Amy nods to this, hovering her brush just above the spot where both she and Fae suspect this crystal to be. "The boss is probably gonna be waiting for us at the top center of the floor, so the crystal that connects to this one…is probably an emergency exit tied to an FOE puzzle." She frowns at this assessment, putting her brush away and furling the map as a huff escapes her. "That's not gonna be pleasant at all. Let's get goi-" She turns around to see three Saurians, one of each individual type, approaching the party. "Ah, dammit." Seeing that the members of the enemy unit have already brandished their weapons, she rushes in ahead of her allies to deliver a punch from Titan Killer to the Sword Saurian. Time seems to slow to a painful crawl as her fist draws ever closer to her target. "You're already dead."

Her claim proves true, for the Hammer and Lance Saurians barely have enough time to register their comrade being sent flying into a distant chunk of ore. Their ally's heart was ruptured as a result of this punch, but they are left to assume the impact was the cause. The Hammer Saurian is caught off guard once again, this time by Fae's use of a Numbing Bomb. Seeing the effects immediately take hold, the Lance Saurian covers its face and jumps backwards. Surprise is plastered upon its countenance as an arrow flies from the smoke. It tries to deflect this arrow, but fails to realize that this was a ruse. Balto capitalizes by rushing in and using rope to seal the creature's arms after tripping it.

Though the creature quickly rises to its feet, it is only to be met with the sight of Fae, who has donned a pair of sunglasses, throwing a primed flash bang at its face. A hiss of agony sounds from the creature's throat, only to be immediately silenced as Amy delivers a solid punch to it. Clarisse takes a moment to fire a debilitative arrow at the Hammer Saurian, managing to strike the open wound Cyrus just created after using Armor Pierce. The Masurao takes this as an opportunity to use Bolt Slash, but fails to secure the kill. Just as Cyrus prepares to fall back, Balto charges in and clamps his fangs down on the Saurian's neck, taking away what little life remains. The Lance Saurian still stands, but is powerless before the party, making for a swift cleanup.

Sheathing his katana, Cyrus exhales a sigh of relief. "An excellent flow of battle, I'd say; not a single act was wasted." He takes a knee so that he may rub Balto's head; a grin is upon his lips as he says, "Coming in with the clutch fangs; heh, I see you, Balto."

Balto lets out what sounds to be a chuckle. "Never underestimate your elders, Cyrus." When the party returns to the room housing the Raging Tortoise and Sonar Worm, he looks to both Cyrus and Clarisse as he says, "I am anticipating a dilemma." When Clarisse asks him to clarify, he follows, "We can only strike this left crystal from the bottom side, but that will not provoke the worm into advancing down the corridor."

Cyrus nods to this. "Unfortunately, we can't abuse horizontal preference. The Sonar Worms seek out the generator of the sound, so it knows heading west won't allow it to reach us."

Furling up the map, Amy takes a moment to yawn before saying, "I figured out the puzzle." When her comrades grant her their attention, she says, "We take one swing at the left crystal to move the Sonar Worm." Pointing at the Tortoise, she follows, "The Raging Tortoise will make a left once the worm is out of the way, so we take that extra time to strike the second crystal." She ends her explanation there, despite her comrades knowing a few more steps are involved. After following the first two steps, she leads them back to the bottom side of the first crystal to fully shatter it. "The worm moves north again instead of to the east for some odd reason, but this works out for us." No one questions this logic.

They follow after the Raging Tortoise, breaking the second crystal once the tortoise makes a southern turn. The party is now free to proceed to this cavern's exit. Cyrus and Lissa are the first to step through the door as it slides open. Within, they can see a roaming tortoise and another warp crystal. After studying the area as she waits for Amy to draw the bulk of what she can see, Lissa looks amongst her comrades to ask, "Um…does this crystal even go anywhere?" Pointing at the map, she points out that, "None of the points from which we can approach look like they'll lead anywhere." Pointing at the far right edge of the floor, she follows, "It doesn't even align with that crystal in C7 that we never tested."

Clarisse says, "I'm more concerned with that Raging Tortoise."

Cyrus replies, "We approach the crystal from the bottom side." When Clarisse looks to him with a confused expression, he directs his gaze at Amy and asks, "Am I on the right track, Amy?"

"Yep. That Raging Tortoise is never going to make a turn, and approaching the crystal from the top side does nothing." Directing everyone's gaze to B1 and B2, she calls attention to the FOE in this area. "See, this should be another Raging Tortoise, and I bet its cavern is structured the same way."

Pushing her sunglasses down, Fae stares at the map for a moment before saying, "Um, Aunt Amy? That FOE isn't moving, so I don't think it's a Tortoise." The party motions to trigger the warp crystal, quickly ending up in a more spacious cavern housing a Hellhound. Fae's expression shifts from mild surprise, to flustered, to panic in the span of a few seconds. "Um…I'd rather be wrong?" The Hellhound turns around, initially seeming quite affable until it catches sight of Balto; a fellow canine encroaching upon its territory fills the creature's eyes with contempt. "Run away!"

The party maneuvers around the warp crystal so that it can be triggered to warp them to the top side of crystal they used to get here. In doing so, they appear before the Raging Tortoise, which stops just shy of engaging them in combat. Its blue eyes are filled with curiosity as it tilts its head and observes the Seekers. It asks, "Running away from the Hellhound?" The question is directed at Balto, rather than the rest of the party, but the FOE is surprised when Cyrus provides an affirmative answer. "You understand me?"

"It's a long story, but yes. We mean no harm, and will extricate ourselves from your path shortly." True to his word, he and the rest of the party bid the Raging Tortoise farewell before proceeding through the door that leads back into the room with the Hellhound. Much to their good fortune, the Hellhound commits to following them, causing itself to warp to the same location, but without a means of opening the door they proceeded through. Dusting off his left shoulder, Cyrus looks back as he comments, "That Hellhound will have to make its way to the bottom side of that crystal, but we'll be long gone by then."

The party unlocks the shortcut leading to the warp crystal in A1. Returning to their exploration, this next area is a narrow enclosure sporting a few branching paths that don't lead anywhere, save for one leading to a Take Point. Before stepping through the next door, the party is beset by six enemies. This Enemy Set consists of two instances of each of the elemental Crysts the Seekers have encountered. Pulling a Panic Bomb from her bag, Fae adopts a look of focus as she gives the item a light toss into the air above her. She takes her scythe in hand, wielding it like a bat as she hits the bomb to send it flying towards the enemy's back line; her effort successfully inflicts panic on all three. "Quick, take out the front!"

Though Amy's use of Titan Killer easily obliterates the front Volt Cryst, Cyrus does not manage the same with the Fire Cryst. ' _Damn, I missed the critical strike by a hair._ ' Lissa's use of Mana Guard keeps both her and Amy from succumbing to the oncoming wads of fire and ice that the surviving Crysts are firing at them. The battle from here is of no consequence, for the remaining trio is stuck in its panic, fighting amongst themselves as the Seekers pick them off. Stepping through the next door, the party is met with a large room with a warp crystal resting at its eastern center. "I suppose we'll have to run a few Hellhounds through this room."

Having finished her efforts in drawing the layout of this room on the map, Amy looks to Cyrus as she says, "The bottom and right sides don't lead anywhere, but could be used as drop-off points for other crystals down the line."

Clarisse says, "Since we're kind of working this way already, we should take the top side first." When Cyrus and Amy look at her with inquisitive expressions, she elaborates. "We're basically filling in the exterior of the floor, right? Since we're already going clockwise, I figured we'd just stick to what we're doing."

Cyrus shrugs. "I have no objections to this." When the party approaches the top side, nothing happens. "Eh?" He tests it once more, for good measure. "Nothing happened? So the top side of the crystal does nothing; it can't even be a drop-off point." As Amy motions to change the color of paint she used, Cyrus stops her; "Hold a moment, sister; let's keep the paint as is until we're finished with this floor – then we'll clean up all of the maps for the Stratum."

When the party approaches the crystal from the left side, they are warped to the area containing the first Sonar Worm their map revealed. Occupying this same massive expanse is another Hellhound, which causes Lissa to shake her head. "Hoo~ That's not gonna be fun." Looking to the others, she asks, "Think we can take the Hellhound in a fight?"

Clarisse adopts an incredulous look as she asks, "You're kidding, right?" She then looks to Cyrus, expecting him to be as skeptical as she is; instead, Cyrus is holding onto his chin, boasting a contemplative stance as he presumably studies the Hellhound with his Runic Eye. "Co, you can't be serious."

"I don't know, Reese; the wife might be on to something here."

Amy adds that, "We still have Full Retreat as an option."

Clarisse looks to Fae as she says, "Munchkin – talk some sense into them."

Fae takes a moment to study the Hellhound in turn before saying, "The Orthrus is weak to Paralysis and Panic."

Lissa says, "I think we can actually do this." Clarisse face-palms. Despite Clarisse's protests, the party commits to the act of engaging the Hellhound in combat. To be on the absolute safe side, the party draws the creature's attention, opting to have it warp with them to the crystal in B3 so that their battle can be waged without fear of attracting the Sonar Worm. As the Hellhound warps into the area, its back is turned to the party, granting a preemptive strike. ' _I can't believe it's this free._ '

Cyrus orders the party to buff up, taking advantage of their preemptive. "Clarisse, forget about binds; go straight for Target Arrow; Lissa, we'll need both a Bunker and Defense Form." He and Amy motion to take advantage of the terrain, hiding behind large chunks of ore to keep out of the Hellhound's vision. Amy takes the moment to imbue herself with the effects of Overexertion. As Lissa deploys her bunker, Fae tosses her Panic Bomb; its effects do not take hold, causing Cyrus to shade his eyes as the creature finally turns around to face the party. With Clarisse's debilitative arrow in effect, Cyrus elects to emerge from his cover to charge at the Hellhound. The area is coated in a Black Mist as he calls out an order. "Fae, make one more attempt; I'll back you up!"

Pulling out a second Panic Bomb, she voices her assent to this plan. Not only does her bomb successfully panic the FOE this time, but Clarisse capitalizes on the Black Mist in turn, managing to effectively disable all of the creature's limbs. "Never underestimate me, Co!"

"You can brag over drinks!" Though he can't see it, he knows that Clarisse now wears a smug grin on her face. Before he can comment on this, the Hellhound swings its paw at him, though the attack is done in a flailing manner. The creature's strength has been heavily reduced as a result of Clarisse's successful bind, and Lissa offers further assistance through the use of Counter Guard. He stabs his katana into the creature's flesh, imbuing the blade with some sort of malefic aura that lowers its defense even further. After putting distance between himself and the enemy, Amy imbues him with the effects of Overexertion. Sheathing his katana, he says, "Use Heavenly Aid; Overexertion won't last that long for you so we'll need to make the most of it."

"Right."

"Fae, Clarisse! Heal Amy to maximize Heavenly Aid's effects!" He then rushes back into the fray, stepping into the Hellhound's blind spot to motion into a drawing strike to use Bolt Slash. His attack, much to his surprise, does not deal nearly as much damage as he was hoping. ' _I missed the chance to crit again, too._ ' The effects of Overexertion begin to take their toll, causing blood to pool in his mouth; he can also feel a sharp pain in what remains of his left arm. ' _Phantom pains, now?_ ' The pain becomes more pronounced in this moment; ' _No, this is different._ ' He glances to find blood is dripping through his left sleeve. ' _Damn this buff; the drawbacks are glaring._ '

With her wounds healed, Amy rushes in and punches the Hellhound in the face with a fist strengthened by the effects of Titan Killer and Fortitude. The creature is sent crashing along the ground from the strike, but still boasts enough strength to continue fighting. This is further demonstrated by the Hellhound delivering a paw swipe at Amy, knocking her into Cyrus as the two hit the ground. Picking herself up, Amy quickly looks back to Cyrus, taking note of his injuries. "Nii-chan? You good?"

He rises quite slowly, prompting Fae to rush to his side. "Use Titan Killer again; we're almost done here. I have a plan." She nods to him and rushes off. "Lissa, we're taking a risk; use Defense Form!" She shouts her assent to this before reciting some sort of chant and then stabbing her shield into the ground. The Hellhound appears to have regained its senses, which causes Cyrus to frown. "Damn, that's a bit too early; would have preferred one more round." Once Amy falls back to establish the effects of Overexertion on him, he nods to her. "The rest of you need to hold the line; it has a Conditional Drop that I intend to get."

Lissa tries to sigh at this, but can only chuckle. "You've been corrupted by Hilda, dear."

"Nonsense, love; I was always like this. Fae, use Guard Order." She nods to this as she preps another Panic Bomb. Her bomb fails to inflict its ailment, allowing the Hellhound to enact a series of wild, aimless bites at the party, one of which is directed at Cyrus. Though the attack misses, one of the creature's fangs creates a large gash in his left leg as it tears away the fabric of his clothes. Cyrus unleashes Bolt Slash in retaliation, failing to strike any critical weak points; to make matters worse, the Hellhound is still clinging to its life. ' _Damn it all._ '

Fae rushes over, medical supplies in hand, and motions to treat Cyrus' wound before the Hellhound can approach them again. "H- Hold on." She spots the Hellhound approaching from the corner of her eye, her expression shifting to convey horror as its paw closes in on Cyrus. She shoves him out of the way and adopts a defensive stance, holding up her arms in an effort to soften the blow. She is sent rolling along the ground, but retains consciousness. A loud groan escapes her, alerting the beast that its prey yet lives. ' _That…that really hurt…_ ' She opens her eyes to see that the Hellhound is rushing towards her, undoubtedly seeking to finish what it started. Fae tries to move, but her body is too wracked by its current pain to do so. ' _Not now; please move!_ '

Despite the gash in his leg, Cyrus rushes to intercept the Hellhound, throwing himself in front of Fae. He motions into a drawing slash, his blade crackling with electricity as he delivers a strike that severs both heads of the Hellhound, as well as one of its claws. He exhales, sheathing his blade before turning his attention to Fae. He crouches down to gently pick her up, though he does wince from the pain in his leg. "Fae, that was much too dangerous."

"I- I didn't want to see you get hurt again…" She chuckles, albeit weakly. "Did I help?"

"Of course you did; we couldn't have won the fight without you."

"Yay~ You were cool, too, Uncle."

"Hush now, child; we have to heal your wounds." When Clarisse and the others step over, he says, "Fae gets priority; I'll be fine." Once the party's injuries are properly mended, Cyrus elects to look over the combat spoils of this encounter. The first is a thick tuft of bushy fur that was severed from the hide of the Hellhound. The second is the Conditional Drop – the claw Cyrus detached with his final use of Bolt Slash was energized by his attack, enhancing the minerals stored within. He stores both of these with the party's belongings. "Are we good to continue?" The others nod, but he remains unconvinced after taking a look at Clarisse. He steps over to get a good look at her face; his suspicion is only compounded by the fact that she is actively avoiding direct eye contact. "Reese."

"You're in my personal space, Co." When she glances at him, she can see that he is holding a bottle of Amrita out before her. She looks away again, a blush forming on her cheeks. "It's not that bad…" She can hear him sigh as he steps closer; sighing in turn, she takes the bottle and drinks its contents, soon feeling her strength returning. Handing the bottle back to him, she asks, "There, you happy?" He says nothing, instead storing the empty bottle and then taking hold of her hand as he leads her to the left side of the warp crystal. Clarisse offers no protest as they continue forward together. Upon returning to the area with the Sonar Worm, she asks, "We're free to scope out the place now, right?"

As it turns out, there isn't anything in this expanse of note. With the layout drawn in full, Amy points to the door leading out of here as she says, "Going through that door when we originally found it would have only revealed that we had no means of dealing with both FOEs. The puzzle here, with the Hellhound gone, is no different from the last one we solved like this back in the secret area of the 16th floor. Let's get to it." This process takes roughly five hours to get through due to the increased spacing between the Sonar Worm and the two crystals near the warp crystal that are intended to be used as bait. The party's reward is the shortcut that leads back to the warp crystal of A7. "That's a load off. Let's keep moving."

As the hour strikes 6PM, the party enters another large expanse that houses a warp crystal. Curiously, the crystal can only be approached from a single side. Before its drop-off point can be tested, the mysterious girl the party has been tasked with locating appears before them. She scans the group with her usual cold gaze, noting two new faces in the form of Cyrus and Clarisse. "That you made it this far is impressive. Beyond the crystal you see up ahead lies the Crystal Dragon, ruler of this Stratum."

Cyrus asks, "You…wouldn't happen to be a member of the Forest Folk, would you?" The girl tilts her head at this, to which Cyrus quickly shakes his head. "No, pray that you pay that comment no mind; the sight of you…just reminded me of someone from the past, someone from a race of people born of Yggdrasil's Labyrinth."

"How curious. I suppose your Dragoon was serious when she claimed that you lot are well-versed." Her gaze trails off, as well as her voice. "The dragon is powerful, but I believe you will be victorious, and that you will reach Yggdrasil's summit in turn."

Before anyone can make a reply, the girl disappears once more. Cyrus shrugs at the notion. "She really can teleport." Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, he follows, "We'll take an hour to rest before scoping out the dragon's lair." He and the team return to this expanse as the hour strikes 8PM. He and Amy take a moment to draw the portion of the map that is dedicated to this small region before everyone approaches the warp crystal. As the light fades, the Seekers find themselves in a vast hall enveloped by crystals. Unlike the previous caverns that have been explored, the ceiling of this hall is so high that it stretches beyond the party's vision. Turning around, Cyrus can see the opponent his Guild is next slated to face. "There it is."

Further into the reaches of this expanse lies a giant dragon. In place of wings, the creature seems to boast what look to be cannons mounted on its back. Though its hide is primarily gray, there are many portions of its form that are a light shade of blue. These appear to be crystals, making up an effective set of armor for the dragon. The Crystal Dragon is motionless, but is undoubtedly aware of the party's intrusion. Sensing their presence, it launches a giant shard of crystal towards the party. Cyrus holds up his hand to signal for his allies to remain still. The crystal lands a short distance ahead of them, stabbing into the ground. Of particular note is the crystal's composition – it is of the very same structure as the warp crystals.

A shiver is sent down Fae's spine as she asks, "W- Was that a warning shot?"

Cyrus nods to this. "You ladies stay here; Amy, with me." As she watches Cyrus and Amy motion to step further into the Crystal Dragon's range, Fae's expression becomes flustered as she questions their actions. Turning to face her, Cyrus says, "Worry not, little one; Aunt Amy and I are just going to scope out the area and get a feel for the Crystal Dragon's abilities."

Amy dons a wide smile as she says, "There's no need to worry, Fae; this is just Boss prep – we won't actually engage it." True to her word, she and Cyrus spend the next four hours combing the perimeter of the Crystal Dragon's lair. The expanse is truly massive, offering no real room for the Seekers to simply charge at the creature head on. As she relays this information to her comrades, Amy gives an absent comment. "If we want a preemptive, we'll need to abuse the warp crystals the dragon is sending our way." Furling the map, she takes a moment to stretch before saying, "We'll make the necessary preparations tonight and then fight the Boss tomorrow." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "That sound good, nii-chan?"

"Indeed. I even have a team in mind for this." Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, he follows, "We did excellent work today, Seekers; let's head home and get some rest."


	41. A Formidable Foe Stands in the Way

**Chapter 41: A Formidable Foe Stands in the Way**

The Seekers' strategy meeting does not occur within Jenetta's Inn; instead, Cyrus and the party intended to face the Crystal Dragon currently dine at the Twilight Tavern. Thadius is here as well, having been waiting to thank the Seekers for their assistance. As Mirina serves their breakfast, he looks to Cyrus and says, "I cannot thank you and your Guild enough for the help you've provided. I was unconscious at the time, so I-" He is interrupted by Cyrus placing a biscuit into his mouth.

"There is no need for such embarrassment, Thadius; a Coelistis takes care of his own, after all." Mia approaches from behind Thadius to wrap her arms around him. She is glaring at Cyrus now, holding her betrothed away from him in a protective embrace. Cyrus chuckles at the sight. "Is something the matter, Mia?"

"You can't have my Thadius!"

"M- Mia, I don't think he was trying t-"

She pulls him just a bit closer, slamming his cheek into hers. "Hush, darling; you can't afford to be seduced by his wiles."

It is now Amy's turn to glare at Cyrus, a notion that actually instills discomfort. "Nii-chan, now you know that's not fair. There is only one man I can allow you to be shipped with, and that man is Eric."

"Amy, we've been over this – that's not gonna happen."

Diana absently says, "I thought you two would have made for a great couple."

"Master, don't encourage her…"

Ignoring her allies, Valerie looks to Thadius and asks, "So Mia's old man is gonna train you now, right?"

He nods to this. "Indeed. He makes a fair point on how a man needs to be prepared to protect his family. My training has already begun." His expression becomes downtrodden, with his eyes making his lack of confidence all too clear. "I don't know how long I can keep up with him, but I swear that I will persevere…s- somehow." He glances at Mia, the sight of whom brings a soft smile to his face. Though his uncertainty persists, it is overshadowed by the peace Mia has brought. "For her sake, I'll overcome any ordeal. What is next for the Seekers, if I may ask?"

Fae sets down her glass of orange juice as she says, "We're gonna go fight the Crystal Dragon today."

The beaming smile worn on Fae's countenance only serves to instill more concern within Mia, who adopts a flustered expression as she looks to the child. "Why do you seem so chipper about that? Dragons are scary, Fae."

"Dragons are cool! I'm so happy I got to see one!" She frowns, recalling the previous evening. "It wasn't happy to see us, though…"

Hayato says, "From the description I was given, the upcoming foe will be formidable indeed."

A thought suddenly occurs to both Thadius and Mia as they look over the Seekers. After taking a moment to count the number of people present, Thadius looks to Cyrus and asks, "Aren't you restricted to just five party members at maximum?"

Cyrus nods to this in turn. "That's right. The five you see around you will be the ones to face the Crystal Dragon; I'm only acting as the strategist."

Mia tilts her head at this, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Won't they need you there, though?" He shakes his head to this as a smile forms on his face. "I'm a bit confused."

"My allies are reliable people, Mia. As the leader, I recognize that there will be times where my presence adds nothing to the setup. For these moments, all I can do is trust my comrades with my plan, with the faith that they'll execute it perfectly." He glances at Diana, who is too busy consuming her meal to take notice of him. "This next battle will be very important for someone among the Seekers; I'd like to give that someone this opportunity."

Valerie pouts at this, looking to Cyrus as she says, "Chief, you owe me. I wanna be the star, too."

He grins at her, giving a chuckle before saying, "You'll get that chance, Valerie; I was thinking about letting you be the crux of the setup for the 5th Stratum Boss."

"That's pretty far away, Chief…whatever; I trust you."

"That's really all I can ask for, thank you."

Fae asks, "So we're going for Sleep this time, right?"

A malicious grin forms on Cyrus' face as the question is presented, sending a chill through everyone's spine. "Indeed, my little angel. The Lullaby Squad is about to make its debut." A sinister gleam forms in his eyes as he rests his elbow onto the table. He has donned his reading glasses in turn, angling his head so that the lenses become obscured by the lighting of the sun beaming through the nearby window. "This might not slay the dragon in a single hit, but it will certainly do excellent damage."

Though frightened by Cyrus' sudden shift in tone, Mia asks, "W- What's the plan?"

"We'll need two uses of Black Mist for safety purposes; the first is to facilitate Fae's use of a Panic Bomb. Evasion setups might not be ideal here without my use of Phantom Swords supplementing Lord Hayato's Haste Prayer. As such, we'll play with a touch of risk as we countenance the Crystal Dragon's random attacks."

Valerie asks, "How susceptible is this dragon, again?"

"Not very." Valerie frowns at this. "Wilting Miasma will go a long way, my apprentice. The beast resists both Panic and Sleep, which are the cornerstones of this setup."

Crossing her arms at the notion, Diana says, "That would explain why you want to run Black Mist twice. As for my role in this, I am to strike the target with Wraith Explosion after it has fallen asleep." Looking to Hayato, she follows, "The young prince will provide support with Dance Oracle, which will be primed to go before I can act." She sighs, directing her gaze at the table. "Wraiths can be an uncooperative lot; they attack during the lull periods after both groups have taken their actions."

Continuing the thread, Fae adds that, "Because of that, we have to put the dragon to sleep and hit it with Wraith Explosion in one go." Looking to Valerie, she says, "We messed up before with the Headless Hunter since Valerie was too fast for the prince to keep up."

Nodding to this, Valerie follows, "That's right, but we only took that gamble because you needed to heal Amy. That factor isn't present this time." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "What's the Conditional Drop?"

"Arm Bind; the Crystal Dragon resists Head Bind and Arm Bind, so there's another reason to bring Wilting Miasma and Black Mist." Looking to Amy, he says, "I'm not terribly confident in relying on her Barrage Brawler setup, even with support from both ends. I believe it'll be better if we run Titan Killer as backup." Amy folds her arms at this, citing that she might need to tag out for Gwenivere instead. "That is a very real possibility; I'll think it over." He heaves a sigh as his gaze fixates on the tabletop beneath him. Though his allies cannot see through the light shining from the lenses of his glasses, Cyrus' countenance presents apprehension. "Truth be told, I'm worried about Master Annora."

Thadius motions to ask why, receiving the answer from Diana herself instead of Cyrus. "In order to get the most out of Wraith Explosion, I must first use Sacrifice to bolster my power. This brings me down to just two Wraiths, making Wraith Explosion weaker." She chuckles as she follows, "I can get around this through the use of my passive Skills, with the best one being Hell's Lure." The mention of this Skill brings a frown to Cyrus' face. "The Skill requires me to keep myself at a low health threshold; when close to Death's door, spirits of the departed are drawn to you, allowing me to call upon a new Wraith to replace the one I lost via the use of Sacrifice."

Thadius makes no effort to hide the shock his expression portrays. "With all due respect, Master Annora – that is much too dangerous, and it's made all the more so with the dragon being under the effects of Panic. Who it strikes in that state is completely random from what I understand."

"Yes, that is very true, Thadius, but I am willing to run the risk." She glances at Cyrus as a soft smile forms on her face. "I shall not fail; after all, there is someone I'm looking to impress with this setup, so needs must I fully commit." She holds a hand to her mouth as a giggle escapes her. "It should be a fantastic result. 'Tis a pity Cyrus cannot witness this in person; making use of the memory playback spell from back home seems…soulless to me."

The Nomad Guild approaches the table, though they do not appear to be set to dine. Crossing her arms, Melissa looks to the Seekers with a smirk on her face. "We might be able to help you out with that."

Looking to Cyrus, Evelyn makes a suggestion. "How about you temporarily join us as a guest party member?" His attention is caught by this, causing him to shift his head ever so slightly. This minor movement removes the flare from his glasses, allowing Evelyn to see his eyes. His expression is expectant, almost betraying a sense of hope towards her offer. "We…wanted to see how you guys operate against a Stratum Boss."

Stacy follows, "You can tag along with us; seeing how things play out will keep you at ease, right?" Cyrus motions to respond, but stops himself before any words can form. His eyes fall to the table again, his uncertainty presented clearly now. "It's only natural for you to worry about your allies, even if you trust them completely." She crosses her arms, her own expression becoming pensive as she says, "It might be tougher for you specifically because you trust them completely."

Looking to the Nomads, Cyrus raises his head to show the soft smile that has taken over his countenance. "Your offer is most appreciated, Nomads; can I ask you all to be ready at 7PM?"

Expressing surprise at this, Melissa asks, "Wait, we're not about to fight it right now?"

Cyrus shakes his head to the notion. "We were up fairly late into the night brainstorming plans for this encounter, so I wish to ensure that everyone is properly rested."

With a smile, Evelyn nods to this. "We'll just handle our gathering for the day and meet you at Jenetta's Inn later tonight." When night falls, Evelyn and her crew depart with the Seekers to the Lucent Hollows. As she walks beside Cyrus, she thinks to the upcoming battle. Worry has commanded her countenance ever since she came to find that Diana rendered herself unconscious prior to departing from Jenetta's Inn. Looking to Cyrus, she can see that he is distressed by this. The Necromancer's unconscious form is currently carried in Valerie's arms. "Cyrus…I'm sure she's fine."

"I know that, Lyn, but I can't help but feel apprehensive all the same." His expression sinks to convey guilt as he follows, "She's doing this for me, as it were; I don't like what that implies."

"I imagine that, for her, enduring such pain in your place is preferable to the alternative; though I don't know as much about you as I'd like, I can say that you've definitely suffered enough."

"The same goes for my mother; having little choice but to act as a spectator while your son is ravaged by the world doesn't sound like something any parent should be subjected to." As he finishes his statement, the two groups make use of the northern-most warp crystal to reach the lair of the Crystal Dragon. A roar sounds from within the expanse's interior, which reaches Cyrus' ears as a challenge. "The dragon will grant no quarter." He takes a step forward, holding up his hand to call for a halt. "I'll get the first crystal in place; the rest of you should be prepared to make for the west side."

Stacy looks to him and asks, "What's your plan here?"

He turns to face her with a smirk on his face. The look in his eyes suggests malicious intent, though no one bothers to comment on it. "We're going to take advantage of the warp crystals it creates to get a preemptive strike." He leaves the discussion at this in favor of offering a proper demonstration. He walks off alone to the eastern side of this large cavern, avoiding the Crystal Dragon's initial volley that creates a warp crystal in the center of E5. Though this crystal is unimportant to the Seekers' ultimate goal, Cyrus does use it as a frame of reference. ' _Alright, now I need it to fire a crystal at D5._ ' He endeavors to twine his movements, weaving in and out of the dragon's optimal range to force his foe to constantly alter its aim. He motions to commit to a leftward approach, which the dragon takes as its opportunity to prime another crystal. Jumping out of the way, Cyrus looks to find that the crystal has landed a bit shy of D5's center; a smirk forms on his face. ' _Just as planned._ '

He then makes an effort to return to his allies, exchanging a high-five with Valerie as the execution of the plan's second half is passed on to the engaging party. "Impressive footwork, Chief."

"All according to keikaku, Valerie."

When Stacy asks for that word's meaning, Fae raises a finger and says, "The word 'keikaku' means 'plan'."

"Ah, I see." She then looks to Cyrus, gesturing a hand as she asks, "Why didn't you just say that?"

"It's…a bit difficult to explain; I'll tell you later."

The engaging party sets off for the western side of the cavern. In a manner similar to Cyrus, their efforts lie in baiting the dragon into launching a crystal that they can take advantage of. In order to establish a link with the crystal in D5, the party needs the next crystal to land within D3. The crystal is planted in the correct spot, but an additional step is required. Gwenivere directs her party back to the south as she says, "A creature of this size will need an additional moment re-orient itself. That will give us enough time to warp just as it fires the crystal intended to slay us."

Fae follows, "Then we can rush it while it's distracted." This plan works, also granting the party an opportunity to revive Diana using a bottle of Nectar. "Ms. Diana; it's time to fight."

The woman rises to her feet and rolls her shoulder. With a snap of her fingers, three wraiths are summoned to her side. "Let's begin." She starts the encounter by drinking a bottle of Bravant; ' _They used some fine apples when brewing this…I'm gonna need the recipe later._ ' She can feel her strength returning as Hayato's Blaze Prayer takes effect; Valerie has already coated the battlefield in a wilting miasma, though Fae elects to establish the effects of Smokeblight first. ' _Here's hoping I won't be healed too greatly._ ' She clenches her fist as the effects of Amplifier take hold, a grin forming on her lips. ' _I could get used to this power._ '

As the Crystal Dragon turns around to engage the party, it is only to be met with the sight of darkness enveloping it. Fae has tossed a Dark Bomb at its location, successfully managing to impair its vision. Valerie tosses a Bravant to Gwenivere as the woman grants her party the effects of Magic Shield. "This one's on me." She then looks to see that the dragon is looking around in a desperate attempt to spot the party; a grin fixes onto Valerie's face as she looks to Fae and says, "Good work, Fae; get the Sleep Gas ready!"

She's already in the process of pulling out the makeshift bomb filled with the soporific substance as she says, "You can count on me!" Before she can toss the bomb, Valerie triggers the effects of Black Mist; with her job done, she pulls out a bomb that she tosses at the Crystal Dragon; the bomb releases a gas that numbs the dragon's wings, bringing a smirk to Valerie's face. Hayato performs a dance to call upon the power of Dance Oracle, which is immediately followed up by Gwenivere's use of Clever Strike.

Having lost the effects of Hayato's Blaze Prayer, Gwenivere triggers a Union Skill to make use of Enchant. Once her staff is imbued with the elements, she positions herself directly beneath the dragon's chin and takes her swing. The damage she deals is admittedly much less than she expected of herself, but the dragon's pained roar is a result she's willing to take all the same. ' _This might be problematic._ '

Fae tosses her bomb, successfully putting the dragon to sleep. She exhales a sigh of relief before falling to her knees. ' _I was so scared I'd mess that up…_ ' When Hayato rushes over to render assistance, she giggles as a blush forms on her cheeks. "I- I'm OK, Prince; it's just my nerves."

He sighs in turn, smiling as he helps his comrade to her feet. "At least it's not serious; I'd hate for something to happen to you." He returns his attention to the dragon to find that a giant red orb is descending upon it. Both he and Fae are mesmerized by the beauteous display of Diana's spell, whose form is like that of a colorful star. This beauty is fleeting, disappearing as quickly as it arrived, for coming into contact with the sleeping dragon causes it to explode, unleashing a shockwave that knocks everyone except Diana to the ground. Cyrus and the Nomads are knelt to the ground in turn, huddled together in a preemptive effort to brace for the shockwave's impact.

When the smoke clears, the dragon remains standing, albeit clearly injured by the party's efforts. Everyone's eyes go wide at the sight, save for Valerie, who pulls another bomb from the interior of her skirt's hem. "Resilient, aren't ya?! Prince, back me up!" To satisfy this request, Hayato chants a prayer that results in Valerie receiving the effects of Heaven's Gift. She disappears from sight, quickly reappearing at the dragon's feet; the bomb is primed and she disappears once more; the resulting explosion seals the dragon's legs, preventing it from moving while also granting Gwenivere and Diana a chance to finish the fight before it can act.

Gwenivere rushes in for another use of Clever Strike, only for her staff to bounce backwards and knock her off balance. "Wha- Wait." She then takes note of the dragon's form; its wings have slimmed down, granting the dragon superior mobility. "The dragon resists physical attacks, now!" Diana makes use of another Wraith Explosion, albeit with only one wraith to call upon; the dragon withstands the attack, much to the party's chagrin.

Pulling a red card from his summoned selection, Hayato applies the effects of the Blaze Prayer once again. "Lady Gwenivere, one more hit!" As the dragon struggles to move, Gwenivere takes this opportunity to heed Hayato's suggestion. With a blazing hammer in hand, she delivers another swing as she firmly plants her foot onto the ground. A loud snap sounds throughout the cavern as the force of her attack breaks the neck of the dragon, bringing an end to its life along with the battle. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Hayato breathes a sigh of relief. "That almost didn't end well." He looks to see Cyrus and the Nomads approaching; he raises his arm as he says, "We took care of it, Cyrus."

"Indeed. Excellent work, all of you." Looking to Diana, he says, "If we had the effects of Overexertion, that might have actually slain the dragon outright. Regardless, it was certainly an impressive showing."

Gwenivere nods to this notion in agreement, resting a hand on her hip as her attention turns to Diana. "You truly are in a different league. We are truly fortunate to have you as an ally as opposed to a foe."

"You are both too kind, but my power is notably weaker in this world. I gave that attack everything I had and it still wasn't enough."

Before anyone else can provide a comment, the voice of the mysterious girl rings throughout the cavern. The two groups look around, but she is nowhere to be seen. "Such power…perhaps you all will meet my expectations after all. Deeper down this hall you will find a crystal pillar. Open the gate to reach Yggdrasil's summit."

Cyrus sighs at the claim, slightly raising his voice as he attempts to clarify a matter. "The 5th Stratum isn't the summit, right? I'm certain there is one more Stratum that lies beyond."

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves, brave Fencer." The voice trails off, as if struck by a pensive and melancholic mood. This tone persists when she resumes speaking. "I've been waiting for someone to reach the summit for so long now." Her voice fades away after this statement is made. Though the groups elect to wait for her to continue speaking her piece, she never does.

Evelyn looks about her comrades as she asks, "What should we do?"

Looking towards the area beyond the Crystal Dragon, Cyrus says, "We'll ascend and register with the Geomagnetic Pole. I have no intention of letting anyone explore this late, so we won't go beyond that." Looking to his team, he follows, "We'll report to Prince Ramus in the morning." Returning his attention to Evelyn, he dons a smile as he says, "You lot should join us. It's not often that we get to reach a new Stratum alongside our fellows."

Melissa grabs hold of both her comrades' hands before pulling them along. "No sense in turning him down; let's go, girls~" Up ahead is a towering crystalline structure that houses a metallic door in its center. Studying this, Melissa says, "This looks kind of different from the other doors of this Stratum, right?"

"You're right. It actually kinda reminds me of Lost Shinjuku." Glancing at Cyrus, she asks, "You see it, too, right?"

"I do, and I don't like that fact at all." He approaches the door and opens it, revealing an interior comprised of technology far beyond what can be found in Iorys. "Oh boy. Here we go again." The two groups step inside, ranking in file to accommodate the narrow bridge that must be crossed. As they progress, this strange room begins to glow, as if a long since dormant machine is whirring back into a state of activity. Cyrus motions to open the door of the structure at the center, which seems to be part of some sort of tube that stretches far beyond the ceiling. "This is an elevator, albeit one that seems to be a bit more advanced than what was found in Lost Shinjuku."

Fae looks to him and asks, "So this is going to take us up?" Cyrus nods to her. "U- Um…are you going to be OK, Uncle? You're afraid of heights."

He grabs hold of her hand, giving a reassuring smile as he replies, "I can handle this much, little one. Let us go." Further proving that this elevator is different from that of Etria's 5th Stratum, the two groups are not riding an actual lift; instead, all of the passengers are converted into energy, which is then sent rising through the tube. When Cyrus regains his sight, he is surrounded by greenery; there is not a crystal to be found in this new region. "It's like a jungle up here." Fae clutches onto his hand, likely taken aback by the sudden shift in locale. Cyrus releases his hold of her hand to instead rest it upon her shoulder. "We're alright, Fae."

Looking up to the sky above, Valerie can see what appear to be grid lines running along a glass-like surface. The moon is within plain view, catching her by surprise. "I don't think we're even on the planet anymore." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Can an artificial place like this really exist? I mean, we're in space."

"It is possible that the entire Labyrinth was constructed by the same beings who made this Stratum." He rests his hand in his pocket, looking about the area once more as he says, "I can't guess their intent; they could harbor a similar desire as the gods of Erdboden, or this could all just be one science experiment for them."

Stacy adopts a mortified expression upon hearing this. "Cyrus, surely you do not think beings with such power would do this on a whim?"

"Do we humans not dabble in such similar whims, Stacy?"

Stacy falls silent at this. Before she can give a reply, the mysterious girl appears before them. She approaches from further within the Stratum's interior and motions into a curtsey. "I thank you all for challenging Yggdrasil, and for coming this far despite the odds." She looks among the two groups, her cold eyes scanning them once more. Though her words suggest she is pleased, her expression is straight-faced like usual. "I want you to reach the summit, if possible. Only then can my one true wish be granted."

Stepping forward, Cyrus asks, "I take it that there is a great evil dwelling at the deepest reaches of this place?" The young girl's eyes widen at this suggestion, albeit for a brief moment. "There is no need to be so surprised. We've done this before, after all." He approaches the girl, surprised to find that she doesn't warp away. Taking a knee, he meets his gaze with hers. "Regardless of the peril, we intend to see this through. We of the Seekers shall take care of what lies at the end of this Stratum, as well as the 6th that undoubtedly lies beyond."

The girl dons a shocked countenance at his boastful claim. "From where does this confidence spring? Are you not frightened by what you've seen?" She takes a step back to gesture around her, calling attention to the wildlife that calls this region home. "Do you not fear what is to come?" Cyrus shakes his head as a soft smile traces onto his lips. "May I ask why?"

He rises to his feet as Gwenivere and Diana step to his side. "I'm in no position to be afraid; that won't secure the safety of those I'm sworn to protect." The girl motions to make a reply, but falls silent as her eyes gaze at the grass. "Further still, I'm not alone in my efforts anymore; my Guild and I…we've been through a lot together – after the Abyssal God and Warped Savior, I'm convinced that there's nothing we can't handle." He then holds a hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn. "That said, I can't beat exhaustion. I spent the whole day thinking of a means to best that dragon."

"A- Ah, yes, of course. You must be weary from your journey, and still have so very far yet to travel. Please, return to the city and rest; you deserve it." The girl then disappears, leaving the groups to proceed to the Geomagnetic Pole. After registering to its machinations, they all warp back to Iorys; the next destination is Jenetta's Inn, where their beds are waiting.

The following morning, the Seekers return to the 20th floor, for there is an area that remains to be explored. The warp crystal in C7 is finally approached from its right side, transporting the party to an isolated cavern housing a treasure chest. Within this chest is a bottle of Nectar II; this is promptly secured with the party's belongings before the Seekers depart from the Labyrinth. Before meeting with Ramus, the party heads to the marketplace to sell off their materials. The young merchant adopts a look of elation upon seeing the materials brought from the Crystal Dragon. The party offers an Azure Dragonhorn, which sports a crescent shape and a clear-blue visage. They also offer a Draco Lightwing, explaining that this could only be procured through sealing the dragon's wings and then draining them of the aether coursing within.

"These come from the Stratum Boss, right? Does that mean you've made it to the 5th Stratum?!" Seeing the party's confident smirks tells him everything he needs to know. "You guys are incredible; you had just reached the 4th Stratum not too long ago. Are you gonna start exploring it right away?"

Cyrus shakes his head to this. "We do intend to get started today, but there are many matters to which we must attend beforehand."

"Right, right; I bet you have to report in to the Council next, don't ya?" Cyrus nods. "OK, then don't let me keep you; be sure to come again."

The Seekers depart from the marketplace to visit the Council Hall. Here, Guildmaster Egar and Prince Ramus are engaged in conversation. They place their discussion on momentary hold upon taking note of the Seekers' arrival, with Prince Ramus donning a soft smile as he steps forward to greet them. "I am pleased to see you have all returned. The Nomads gave me a preliminary report." The Seekers take a moment to recount the battle with the Crystal Dragon in full detail, following this with the information they've obtained from the mysterious girl and the 5th Stratum. "To think that the Labyrinth goes beyond Yggdrasil."

Crossing his arms, Egar follows, "Indeed. I had not suspected the existence of a 5th Stratum, but the Seekers here were quite obstinate in their claims." Looking to Lissa, he asks, "And you're still certain that there is a 6th Stratum in turn?"

She nods to him. "I am, sir, though I cannot rightfully say I know what to expect from it. This 5th Stratum, the Untamed Garden, is unlike anything I've ever considered – it surpasses the surprise I once felt when we reached Etria's 5th Stratum."

Ramus adopts a contemplative stance at this notion. "Indeed, the truths that await you in this new Stratum yet remain a mystery. Of course, know that you will have our support. To that end…" He steps away for a moment, quickly returning with a bag holding 40 thousand ental. Though speechless, Cyrus accepts the reward without presenting a fuss. "Since ancient times, many have speculated what awaits us at Yggdrasil's summit."

"Countless have braved the Labyrinth in an effort to solve this mystery. All of them failed. It is our hope that you will succeed where so many failed; for what it is worth, I believe in your ability."

As Amy hands Ramus the revised maps of the 4th Stratum, he hands her a bag containing 25 thousand ental as recompense. "Eh? M- My prince, we cannot possibly."

Ramus holds up a hand to stop her. His expression is stern as he says, "Nonsense, Amy. I insist. You explorers need funding to keep yourselves appropriately prepared for exploration. For all the dangerous tasks we of the Council place upon you…this is but the least we can do." Though Amy wishes to argue with him on this matter, she relents when Cyrus advises against such a course. This brings a smile to Ramus' face. "So I've finally gotten through to you, Cyrus?"

He chuckles at this. "I cannot deny it, Your Highness. We'll use this funding well; you have my word on that."

"I trust that you will. Now then, I believe I have kept you long enough; please, go and get some rest."


	42. Grab Tomorrow

**Chapter 42: Grab Tomorrow**

After departing from the Council Hall, the party makes way for the Twilight Tavern. Upon stepping inside, they are greeted to uproarious cheer from both Mirina and her patrons. They step over to the counter to address the proprietress directly. Mirina wears her usual affable expression as she says, "Evelyn's crew told me all about the fight with the Crystal Dragon!" Looking to Diana, her eyes don an uncharacteristic sparkle as she follows, "I wish I had been there to see you in action, Diana; you only just arrived to this world and yet you have mastery over wraiths."

Diana waves this off, her usual cool and confident expression giving way to bashfulness. "Please, Mirina, stop – you flatter me. I still have a ways to go before my control over Wraiths can match the power I wield in Erdboden."

"You say that, but what you and the others have done is truly extraordinary." She chuckles. "At the rate you're going, you might become too good to bother with my little ol' requests."

Mirina jumps in place as Cyrus, Fae, and Amy place their hands on the counter and push their faces dangerously close to hers. The former and latter of three go so far as to say, in unison, "Perish the thought! We'll always come back to help you!"

By this point, Mirina has backed away; a nervous expression is plastered upon her countenance as she holds up both of her hands in an effort to placate the trio. "I didn't realize you felt so strongly about this." Her nervous expression yields to a sincere smile. "That makes me happy, really. So what's the 5th Stratum like?"

Pulling himself back from the counter, Cyrus rubs the back of his head as he says, "It's…basically a grove contained within a glass dome; it's actually not even on the planet, but rather within the reaches of space."

"S- Space? You mean beyond the sky?" He nods. "You must be teasing me."

"If only it were so simple, Matron; I'm having a difficult time believing it myself. I mean, I've never been to space before; I've only read of ancient texts in my master's archives that describe exploration beyond the stars." Looking to Diana, he asks, "You were present for an iteration of Erdboden where mankind reached the stars, right?"

"I was, yes. I suspect the iteration you and your friends worked to save will eventually reach that point in turn." Seeing Amy and Cyrus don incredulous expressions causes her to chuckle. "You two bested a god and yet you can't believe you'll reach the stars? How cute; if only you knew the reason why space became a destination." She glances to the side to see Mia approaching the party. Before words can be exchanged, Fae runs over to the Therian and jumps into her arms. A soft smile forms on Diana's face as she observes the sight. Her mind thinks back to days long gone. ' _I remember when Cyrus was that young._ ' She giggles, though no one near her knows why. ' _He'd always fish for hugs, be it from me or Denise; never wasted a chance to tell us how much he loved us._ ' She sighs, her smile persisting as she absently says, "I'll miss those days…" She covers her mouth once she realizes that was spoken aloud.

"You'll have grandchildren eventually, Mom; feel more than free to dote on them as much as you wish when that time arrives." Lissa slowly turns to stare at him, her blank expression doing very little to convey her emotions. Looking to her, Cyrus asks, "What? Did I say something strange?"

"Oh, no, nothing at all." Turning her attention to Mia, she asks, "What brings you here, Mia?"

"Oh, u- um, I wanted to apologize for the trouble I caused the other day. I was, um…too busy protecting my Thadius from Cyrus back then." Cyrus says nothing in reply, though his blank expression suggests that he wants to deny that situation's existence. "I wasn't myself that day. Getting worked up isn't like me, let alone defying my father so openly; I acted…out of desperation, but I'm glad that I did."

Cyrus chuckles at this, resting his hand in his pocket as he says, "I understand how you feel, Mia. I've been known to act in much the same way when the people close to me are threatened."

Clarisse nudges his arm as she says, "Yeah, you should've seen Co when we took on the Rampaging Roper." Jabbing a thumb in Diana's direction, she follows, "When Spirit Mama here took a nasty hit from that damn tree, Co went and lost it. If the tree hadn't knocked him out, there's no telling what he might have done."

Crossing her arms, Lissa says, "You weren't awake for it, Reese, but Cyrus was quite upset when that Bone Archer took you out as well." Looking to Mia, she says, "Sorry about your wedding being pushed so far back."

"Oh, no, I'm just happy my father is no longer trying to stop it. All of this is thanks to your help." She sets Fae onto the floor, allowing the child to return to her comrades. She bows to the Seekers. "Thank you very much. I'm going to do my best to help Thadius and my father see eye-to-eye. I know you're all clearing the Labyrinth really quickly, but I hope you'll still attend our wedding." When the Seekers affirm that they'd be happy to attend, she smiles. "That's great!" As her gaze falls on Cyrus, a thought occurs to her. "Oh, right. Um, Cyrus? My father and Thadius might be visiting you soon."

"They have business with me?"

"Y- Yes. It has to do with Thadius' training. I hope you'll put up with them; my father can be very demanding."

"I appreciate the warning, Mia; I believe it would be best if I departed now to make my preparations. If you see either of them, please let them know that I won't be going to Yggdrasil today; I'll be on standby at Jenetta's Inn."

Fae tugs at his pant leg as she asks, "You're not coming to the 5th Stratum with us, Uncle?"

He crouches down to pick her up. "Not for the first foray, little one. I'll explain once we get back to the inn." They bid Mia and Mirina farewell, with Cyrus stating that they'll take up requests later on. At the inn, the rest of the Guild is assembled for a group meeting. "Sorry about this being unscheduled, everyone. This is about the party that'll be heading to the 21st floor. I've decided that it will be the Chain Squad, but Gwen and I will be swapped out with Valerie and Lissa."

Valerie tilts her head at the notion. "Chief? I can't help with Chain fueling." She looks to Fiona as she says, "I'd only slow Fiona down."

Fiona shakes her head to this. "Cyrus is suggesting we take advantage of Chain Killer, which requires fuel in the form of Ailments and Binds rather than standard attacks." She gestures to both Fae and Valerie as she follows, "With the two of you taking a moment to setup and inflict any given Ailment on the opposition, I can hit all of them if I prep Chain All beforehand."

Fae takes surprise with this. "But, Fi-Fi, aren't the Chain Skills capped?"

"Chain Killer is different. So long as you can keep inflicting Ailments or Binds, I can keep attacking; there is no arbitrary cap for this Skill, nor is there Chance Reduction."

Hayato raises a finger as he says, "So Chain Plus only increases the damage of Chain Killer?" Fiona nods. "Isn't that a bit of a waste?"

Cyrus says, "Not so, Lord Hayato. Chain Killer's base damage is stronger than that of the Basic Trio; it's a trade-off for all of its limitations. Effective use of the Skill requires proper knowledge of the Ailment Hierarchy." Seeing that Clarisse, Diana, and Fae are all wearing confused expressions, he offers an explanation. "If you'll take a look at the Monstrous Codex, the Ailments are listed from lowest priority to greatest; it's read from right to left, starting with Blind. You see, Ailments can overwrite each other, so you need to be careful when applying them."

Continuing this thread, Lissa follows, "That said, it is this very ability to overwrite them that lets us keep the enemy debilitated for extended periods of time."

Amy says, "One example is hitting an enemy with Blind so that we can all establish buffs and debuffs. If Blind's usefulness is served but the Ailment is still in place, we can use Panic or Paralysis to overwrite it without having to wait for Blind to wear off on its own."

Jenetta tilts her head at the information provided, also taking a moment to scratch the side of her head. "This all sounds really advanced. Who taught you all this?"

Cyrus and Lissa can only shake their heads in reply. After a moment of contemplation, the latter of the two says, "There was no one available to teach this to us; we learned it over time." She looks to Cyrus as she says, "I don't mind filling in for you, but are you sure about this?"

"I am. I'd only slow Fiona and the others down." As the others motion to refute his claim, he holds up a hand to stop them. "If I am to be the Evasion Tank the Chain Squad needs out there, I have to rethink my setup. Thus far, I've only ever been useful for boss fights. Perhaps, for Random Encounters, I should go the distance and drop my weapon as well."

Crossing her arms, Clarisse presents but one question, "And just how do you plan on defending yourself?"

"I'll have to rely on Lure getting the others to contribute." He rests his head in his hand, his gaze falling to the table as he tries to think. "Dropping my weapon means I can't use Phantom Swords for the accuracy debuff effect. In turn, everything related to Optic Thrust becomes unusable." He sighs, shaking his head as he directs his focus to his allies. "Don't trouble yourselves with this; 'tis a matter I must think on. Please focus on the task at hand."

Gwenivere sighs to this in turn, electing to grant Cyrus some support by changing the conversation's subject entirely. "The money we received from Prince Ramus has bolstered our finances considerably, but I believe we should spend some time gathering once again." She looks to Lissa, noting that her comrade is occasionally glancing at Cyrus; though it is obvious that Lissa wishes to address the matter he is trying to quash, she relents. "Elizabeth." Seeing the momentary shock on her comrade's expression suggests that Lissa was lost in her own thoughts. "Stressing yourself over this matter won't help you; please, put it out of mind for the moment." She pauses, expecting Lissa to make a reply, but this does not come to pass. She heaves a sigh, locking her fingers before resting her elbows on the table. "I understand your feelings, but this is for the best."

Valerie heaves a sigh of her own. "Hey, Chief?" When he directs his gaze at her, she follows, "The next time you sit down to think about your Fencer role…come find me, alright? I'll help you out."

"As you wish, Valerie…thank you."

Before the discussion can continue beyond this point, the sound of approaching footsteps draws everyone's attention to the lobby. Thadius, Mia, and Mia's father step into the area, with the latter of the three armed with four katana resting upon his form. Upon seeing the man, Jenetta's expression lights up with surprise as she rises from her seat. "Master Hanzo?"

Mia's father takes a moment to study Jenetta's face before realizing, "Jenetta? My, how you've grown…you haven't been taking care of yourself, though; I hardly recognized you with all those split ends."

She blushes at this, pushing her fingers together as she says, "Well, you know…running an inn is pretty tough."

Hanzo sighs at this, crossing his arms and shaking his head in turn. "Those sisters of yours are wasting your potential; you're a born warrior. A bit spacey, sure, but that fades away on the battlefield." He looks to the Seekers, specifically to Cyrus. "My daughter gave me your message; I trust you know why I'm here?"

"You have business with my dear guest, Master Hanzo?"

"That I do." He takes a momentary glance at Thadius before returning his attention to those sitting at the table. "Thadius will be training under me, but he needs a path to focus on. It's obvious that the way of the Blade Dancer is best, but Mia here thinks it would be better to give the boy a proper showing of what both paths are capable of."

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere looks to Hanzo and says, "Of course, your options for Blade Masters are few. The only other person I can think of is Evelyn, the leader of the Nomad Guild. I trust that you know of her, so for what purpose do you seek my husband?"

"I have yet to meet the leader of the Nomads in person. However, I've seen the warrior spirit in your husband, making him an easy choice." After studying Gwenivere's expression for a moment, he says, "You may correct me if I'm wrong, but you strike me as a katana user as well."

"I strike you correctly. I am Gwenivere Concordia – liege, wife, and former instructor to Cyrus when he was but a novice with the blade. I am acting as the sole Witch of the Seekers Guild at present, but my true skill would lie as a Masurao in this world."

Lissa shrugs as she says, "I think you'd perform way better as a Ronin; the Drawing Stance and all of the Skills tied to it were practically made for you." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "Same for you, dear."

Rising from his seat, Cyrus looks to Hanzo as he asks, "I trust you wish to begin the lesson now?" When Hanzo nods, he looks to Jenetta and asks, "Is it alright if we borrow your practice ground for this, Jenetta?"

"Sure, I don't mind, but what are you gonna do, exactly?" When Cyrus claims he's going to spar with Hanzo, her expression becomes flustered. "Eh?! D- Dear guest, please reconsider! Master Hanzo is crazy strong; he's been a warrior for longer than you've been alive – the difference in experience is gonna be huge."

"That's never stopped me before, Jenetta." He snaps his fingers, summoning his recently forged katana from a portal of darkness. Turning back to Hanzo, he says, "Your duel has been accepted, Master Hanzo; if you're ready, we can begin immediately." When Hanzo nods in affirmation, Cyrus makes his way towards the front door; before stepping out, he looks to Valerie – though no words are exchanged, she warps to his side regardless.

"Is there a reason you're bringing this girl along?"

"In Erdboden, it is customary to bring your apprentice along to bear witness to your duel."

"I am tasked with learning what I can from the Chief, be it through his victories or defeats."

The conversation is left on this note as the group of five proceeds to the practice grounds on the side of the inn. To their fortune, the area is unoccupied and in no need of repairs. Mia stares blankly at the well-maintained battlefield as she absently states, "This place will be trashed in a minute."

Thadius looks to her as he asks, "Did you say something, Mia?"

"Huh? No, no, not at all!" In an effort to change the subject, she looks to Hanzo. "I- It's been a long time since I've seen you fight, Father…h- how serious are you going to get?" Upon receiving the question, Hanzo can only stare at Mia for a moment. His piercing gaze causes her to shiver. "A- Are you upset?"

"No, I had only just arrived at the same conclusion." He looks to Cyrus in an effort to size him up. ' _The boy is strong, of this there can be no doubt, but lacking an arm puts him at a serious disadvantage._ ' He draws one katana, taking his place on his side of the battlefield immediately after. "I won't go any higher than two blades." As Cyrus turns around, Hanzo catches sight of his opponent's confused expression. "Is there a problem, boy?"

"Yes, actually. You're a Blade Dancer, and I was under the assumption that your lot worked with four blades." His once confused expression has disappeared, having been replaced with a resolute stare as his voice takes on a warning tone. "If you made that call based on me only having one arm, I advise you to reconsider immediately."

In turn, Hanzo adopts a serious expression of his own, staring Cyrus down with the same pair of judging eyes he sported at the Twilight Tavern. "Don't overreach yourself, boy. No matter how long you've spent honing your skills to make up for that missing limb, the fact that you are disadvantaged by it does not change."

Cyrus sighs to this. "Alright, so if I get my left arm back, you'll take me seriously?"

Hanzo hesitates for a moment. ' _What sort of nonsense is he speaking now? I suppose I'll humor him._ ' Instead of shooting this offer down, he asks, "And just how do you intend to reclaim your arm?" He watches as Cyrus tosses his katana high into the sky and calmly calls out to his apprentice. Valerie triggers the effects of the Miasma Armor, which Cyrus then converges around what remains of his left arm to conjure his replacement. ' _What the Hell?!_ ' Cyrus then catches his weapon with this left arm before directing his attention to Hanzo once more.

"Master Hanzo, you seem quite set in your belief that strength only exists in a singular form. Living beings aren't so simple. If you lack raw physical prowess, you seek an alternate means of survival. We Earthlains don't boast the physical strength of Therians, nor do we have the raw magic potential of Celestrians – we draw from our ingenuity to cover our weaknesses." An audible click sounds through the area as he slowly draws his blade; it crackles with sparks of electricity as it is gradually freed from its sheath. "When this duel is complete, you will understand my words."

Hanzo takes the moment to draw another katana before spreading into an offensive stance. "Just know that when the battle begins, it'll be too late for regrets, child." Cyrus is given nary a moment to process Hanzo's words before the man is overtaken by a red aura that distorts the area around him. When one gets a look at his face, the man before them is unrecognizable as Mia's father, instead bearing closer resemblance to some sort of demon. He looks to his opponent with what Cyrus can only assume is meant to be a smirk on his face; though Cyrus remains unfettered, Thadius is petrified by the sight. Hanzo's voice is likewise distorted, but carries its usual overbearing tone as he says, "You stand before Hanzo, the Relentless Demon; prepare yourself!"

To Valerie's surprise, Mia looks completely calm, even as she cheers for her father to do his best. Her expression then becomes flustered as she vocally contemplates if it would be acceptable to cheer for Cyrus as well. Valerie lets out a laugh at this. "Don't worry about it, Mia." Looking to Cyrus, she says, "Chief, you know what to do."

"Yes, of course." His katana is then fully drawn, resting idly at his right side as he stares Hanzo down. Instead of returning his weapon's sheath to his side, he continues to hold onto it with his left hand. A moment passes before Cyrus is struck by a bolt of lightning, which causes Mia to shriek as she hops into Thadius' arms. When the bolt disperses, the ground beneath Cyrus' feet is curiously left undamaged, as is the man himself. Sparks of electricity occasionally run along his form and weapon; the runic pattern in his left eye has taken on a shimmering yellow hue. He returns his katana to its sheath, an act that takes Thadius by surprise. He eases into a drawing stance as he says, "You stand before the second Tyrant of Lightning. Prepare yourself."

The duel begins as Hanzo motions into a dash, prepping his blades as he advances on Cyrus' left side. To Valerie's surprise, a trail of red after images is left in Hanzo's wake, and is likely the only means by which Thadius can even follow the Therian's movements. "Damn, he's pretty spry for an old guy."

Instead of blocking the oncoming strike, Cyrus steps to the side to avoid Hanzo's attack, watching as the ground is caved in upon coming into contact with both katana. From the cloud of dust generated by this attack flies both of the katana once held in Hanzo's grip. Though Cyrus initially motions into prepping Mirror Moon's counter stance, he elects to dodge once more upon noticing that the blades are coated in a red glow. In dodging, he and the others are able to see the space he once occupied is now engulfed in flames. ' _That must be Meteor Rain._ ' Glancing to the side, he can see that Hanzo is swinging at him once again; this time, Cyrus is forced to hold his ground and intercept the oncoming katana with his sheath. The force of the impact transfers through his body before caving the ground. He dashes to the side, motioning into drawing his katana to use Bolt Slash.

Hanzo avoids the bolt of lightning aimed for his person, and tosses his katana at Cyrus again before rushing to retrieve the two he threw moments prior. Turning around, he can see that Cyrus is going to deflect the two blades by sending them towards the sky. ' _There's your first mistake, boy._ ' Using his superior speed, he charges in to force Cyrus on the defensive, this time taking individual swings. Cyrus deflects both strikes with his own blade, seemingly leaving Hanzo open for an attack. When Cyrus motions into what looks to be a committed slash, Hanzo jumps into the air, lightly tossing his two current blades into the sky above in favor of using the force of gravity to bolster the two currently descending. Rather than throw them again, he performs a single flip in preparation to slam down on Cyrus.

Cyrus hadn't committed to an attack as Hanzo predicted, instead feigning such an effort to conceal his effort to sheathe his katana. Taking in a deep breath, he thinks to himself, ' _You're a consistent one – I'll give you that, Hanzo._ ' As he exhales, Hanzo is directly above him, blades prepped. Cyrus jumps backwards to avoid Hanzo's attack; glancing up to the sky, he can see that the other two katana are far closer than he expected them to be. As if to capitalize on this notion, Hanzo can be seen leaping from the cloud of dust generated by his last attack. He grabs hold of both katana and quickly descends upon Cyrus again. His gaze shades into a focused leer whilst he waits for his opponent to draw closer; upon deeming Hanzo's distance close enough, he motions into a drawing slash.

Hanzo crashes upon Cyrus' location, only to quickly realize that what he struck was an after image. ' _What? But I didn't see him make a move…_ ' His instincts trigger as a physical presence manifests behind him, causing him to motion into a slash with the katana in his left hand. His head turns in time to see another of Cyrus' after images fade from existence as it is cleaved in twain. ' _That can't be._ ' He rises to his feet, only to feel the blade of Cyrus' katana resting a short distance from his neck. Glancing down, Hanzo can see that his opponent is matching his gaze with his own; the runic pattern retains its yellow glow, clashing with the red coloration of the eye itself to accentuate Cyrus' glare. In recognition of his defeat, Hanzo drops his remaining katana.

Cyrus shifts backwards, letting out a sigh of relief before returning his katana to its sheath. The katana is then placed at his hip shortly before his left arm dissipates; in turn, the electricity that once coursed over his form has dispersed, causing the runic pattern in his left eye to return to its usual black coloration. Extending a hand before Hanzo, he says, "It was a well-fought encounter, Master Hanzo; I'm both honored and grateful that you gave me the chance to face a Blade Dancer."

Hanzo shakes his hand, his own aura finally fading so that his usual stern expression can return to view. "Likewise. I was skeptical about the power an Earthlain could boast as a Masurao." He scoffs, seemingly at his own ignorance. This then converts into full-blown laughter as he pats Cyrus' shoulder. "Your power is the real deal, boy!" He looks to see the spectators have approached, his gaze falling to Mia in particular. "Pretty disgraceful, losing in front of my little girl like that."

"D- Don't worry about it, Father; you looked as cool as ever." She smiles at him, her expression sincere as she follows, "The last time you looked that happy to be in a fight was…" She places a finger to her chin as she looks towards the cloudy sky above. Though her answer does not come from the clouds, she finds it nevertheless. Returning her attention to her fellows on the ground, her expression is lacking its previous uncertainty as she says, "Ah, right, it was way back on my 5th birthday when you had a duel against grandfather." She giggles as she follows, "That was so long ago; hard to believe I used to be that young."

"Yeah, and I'm getting old. Soon enough, I'll be a gray hare, unable to even lift a blade."

Valerie scoffs, crossing her arms as a smirk traces on her lips. "Somehow I doubt that, old timer." Looking to Thadius, she asks, "So? Did you learn anything?"

He nods in reply, taking a moment to look over both Hanzo and Cyrus. "I have, yes." Directing his attention to Cyrus, he says, "When my training began, Master Hanzo described the Blade Master path as a waste of potential. The damage output, as he reported, was much lower than that of a Blade Dancer."

Taking up Thadius' thread, Hanzo follows, "Having access to heavy armor, at least for us Therians, is not a great enough offset for the amount of risk we run on the front line. The chance to land a critical hit isn't terribly high, either, let alone high enough to warrant walking as a Blade Master instead of a Blade Dancer."

Thadius then continues, "But watching Cyrus fight, I realize now why he chose to walk that path. Earthlains are naturally luckier than any other race on the planet; considering the slights they suffer in every other category, I suppose this makes a lot of sense."

Cyrus chuckles at the notion, rubbing the back of his head as he says, "I can't really deny that, though that good luck only applies to this world – my luck is quite terrible back home in Erdboden." Resting his hand in his pocket, he continues, "Earthlains also boast the greatest bulk for physical defense. In donning heavy armor, we make up for our lack of raw strength with superior defensive sustain and more consistent critical hits. The damage is inferior to the Blade Dancer; I can't deny that, but we require far less maintenance than a Blade Dancer, and can even take up the support role."

Valerie nods to this notion. "An Earthlain Masurao is the best means of inflicting Sleep on an enemy; Therians just aren't that good at landing the actual Ailment, even with support."

Looking to her father, Mia says, "You have to remember that these people are explorers; they have allies covering their weaknesses for them. It's…very different from how you always fight alone, Father. You never depend on anyone's strength but your own." She breaks eye contact with Hanzo as she says this, her voice trailing off and her gaze shifting the ground. Before long, however, she looks him in the eye again, her expression more resolute than before. "Mother and I…we've both always hated that." She expects Hanzo to reprimand her for this criticism, but he instead gives her an expectant look. "We worry about you, you know? There's only so much we can do from the sidelines. I know I was frightened back then…to be honest, I'm still scared even now, but I would have taken up the sword if it meant you'd be a bit safer." As her eyes fall on Thadius, a soft smile traces on her lips as she says, "I suppose that'll have to fall to my Thadius instead."

Hanzo bursts into laughter at this. "This pipsqueak? Protect me?! Now that's hilarious!"

Mia puffs out her cheek as her face turns red. "You said you'd never lose to an Earthlain either!" Hanzo's laughter quickly transitions into an awkward chuckle before he takes a moment to clear his throat. Mia doesn't push the subject any further, instead looking to Cyrus. "Still, I was surprised by how calm you were; most people freeze up in terror when my father gets serious."

"Mia, I'm married to a bunch of women who are stronger than I am. Any one of them getting angry is far scarier than Master Hanzo. Have you seen Lissa when she's furious?" Mia shakes her head. "Alright, so imagine your father as he was in that battle, but remove his sense of mercy and restraint while also adding uncompromising hatred."

Looking at her father, Mia places a finger to her chin and tilts her head as an inquisitive expression fixes upon her face. "Hm…so it'd be like that time you stubbed your toe after getting caught in the rain without an umbrella?"

Hanzo's countenance shifts to suggest that this memory makes him incredibly uncomfortable. He can barely look Cyrus in the eye as he asks, "You…have a harem, yes?" Cyrus voices an affirmative response, to which Hanzo can only nod. "That is a dangerous path you walk, boy; 'tis akin to a perpetual battlefield, where even the slightest mistake could spell your end."

Valerie snickers at this. "I'm just waiting for the day the Chief forgets an anniversary; it's gonna be a hot mess." The three men present shiver in unison at the thought, causing Valerie to burst into laughter.

Cyrus shakes his head in an effort to clear it of the thoughts Valerie has planted. "That reminds me – the 14th of Dormouse is drawing near. I'll need to think of a gift for Fiona." He begins to walk away from the group, his voice notably distant as he seems to talk to himself. "Now that we're lovers, I'll have to bump up the gift's quality, right…" No one has the heart to interrupt his rambling, instead choosing to follow him back to Jenetta's Inn.


	43. Back to the Beginning

**Chapter 43: Back to the Beginning**

Fiona's exploration party sets out as soon as Valerie returns. Their first stop is Mirina's establishment, where they inquire about any recent requests. "As it turns out, yeah, I've got one for you." Holding up the usual clipboard, she says, "This one comes from a scholar researching plants in the Labyrinth. He's asking you to bring back a sample of Thick Stalk, Coriander, and a Clock Flower." She raises finger, clarifying that, "You don't have to find all of them, though; just one of those would be enough." Despite this notion, she crosses her arms as a smirk forms on her face. "Something tells me you're going to go all in regardless. Whatever you decide to do, I just ask that you be careful."

The group bids the proprietress farewell before ascending to the 21st floor. Fiona and Lissa are granted a moment to take in the sight of this new Stratum, with the latter of the two commenting that, "Cyrus was right; it is a little reminiscent of Etria's Emerald Grove." She looks to her comrades, taking up the map parchment as well as her brush. "I'll handle the map. Which way should we tackle first?" Her comrades ultimately decide to traverse the eastern path. As the Seekers walk, a large silver stone catches Lissa's attention. She takes a knee before this stone, running her hand along its surface. The stone is cracked in several places, with one crack being so severe that its interior is revealed. ' _The inside is like raw sapphire._ '

Fiona steps over to see what has captured Lissa's attention. "Is something up, Lissa?" She crouches down to get a better look at the stone in turn, soon positing that, "This must be the shortcut marker for this Stratum." Shifting her gaze to the right, her attention is drawn by a tall pillar that looks to be comprised of silver. "There's some sort of tall crystal in this thing's center." Looking up above, she notes the pillar's positioning in relation to the grid lines running along the sky. "Perhaps…this is tied to the dome." Looking to Valerie, she asks, "You know a few things about what lies beyond the stars, right? What makes the grid important?"

Valerie crosses her arms, closing her eyes to take a moment to think. "Well…OK, I don't know much; I'm not exactly a scientist." She opens her eyes, granting her allies her attention. "Beyond the planet's boundaries is a region we call 'outer space'. Out here in space, the air we normally breathe…doesn't exist."

Fae tilts her head at this. "There's no air in space?"

"Eh…actually, that's a bad way to explain it. Space is a vacuum, and does all sorts of horrible things to the bodies of creatures from the planet. Sudden exposure to the low pressure can cause your lungs to rupture." Fae clutches at her chest and recoils upon hearing this, her eyes going wide with fear. Valerie looks up to the dome above as she says, "We wouldn't suffer those effects immediately if that dome were to shatter. Anything nearby would be forcibly dragged out to space, though; we'd need to warp out of here immediately." She shakes her head at this. "That said, this place is advanced as all Hell. I'm willing to bet those grid lines are some sort of safety measure to account for potential damage to the dome."

"S- So we're safe, right?"

Valerie chuckles, patting Fae on the head. "Yeah, I believe so; I didn't mean to scare you."

Crossing his arms, Hayato says, "How curious. Diana said that the people of Erdboden's past iterations left their home to travel among the stars; did they find some way to bypass the dangers?"

Valerie shrugs. "I never sat down to ask her; I'm not sure if the Chief knows either." She and her party continue down the path that leads to the south. The exit-end of another shortcut is located in D5, which Lissa marks down for future reference. The path ultimately ends at a small grove a short distance away from another one of the pillars that supposedly maintain the defense grid. Valerie kicks a pebble in response to this, clicking her tongue in frustration soon after. "Damn it." She heaves a frustrated sigh before motioning to backtrack. "Let's go back."

The Seekers return to the Geomagnetic Pole to traverse the path directly south of its location. The path branches at E4, prompting the party to make a left turn to explore the bend; this excursion does not last long, for it is quickly revealed that the two paths were part of a loop to begin with. As they maintain their southern route, Valerie's Miasma Armor triggers on its own, prompting Lissa to perform an about-face as she preemptively deploys a bunker. A pair of blue squirrels stands before the party, a notion that instills such seething rage in Lissa's being that she also unleashes Dragon Roar preemptively.

Hayato pulls an icy blue card to call upon the power of Hail Prayer. "Lissa, use Mana Guard! Fiona, can you use Analyze?"

"I'm already on it!" To support her comrades, Valerie makes use of the Stifling Miasma, which helps in reducing the damage the party takes as the squirrels conjure forth large blocks of ice; the party expects these blocks to be used as ranged attacks, only to be surprised as the squirrels dig their spikes into the blocks while spinning forward. Lissa blocks this approach with her shield, but the impact is so violent that the blocks shatter, dealing splash damage to Valerie. "Chain All is prepped! Valerie, using Wilting Miasma; Fae, throw a Poison Bomb!" This plan is executed without delay, with added support from Hayato's use of the Ruinous Prayer. A single thrust from Chain Killer is not enough to slay these foes, but Fiona manages to generate enough momentum to double up, which ends their lives. She sheathes her rapier, exhaling a sigh of relief. "Excellent work, team."

Fae giggles, returning her scythe to her back as she says, "That was easy."

Valerie nods to this, her expression suggesting that she is surprised by the results. "The Chief hasn't lost his edge at all." She can see that Fiona's expression appears to be conflicted. "Hey, Fio – something the matter?"

The Fencer is snapped from her thoughts, looking to face Valerie with a shocked countenance. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah…something's up. Wanna talk about it?"

"Oh, it's nothing to be concerned with, Valerie; I was just…thinking about my Skill focus again."

"You don't want to go all in with Chain Killer, do you?"

She shakes her head to this, much to Valerie's surprise. "I've been trying to keep the Basic Trio even, but I think that's been keeping me from performing properly. I'm not a Therian, so my damage isn't nearly as high as it could be, you know?"

Hayato says, "For the fights against the Hippogryph and the Undead King, I remember that Cyrus asked you to focus on their weaknesses; you've kept Chain Flame as your strongest option since then, right?" Fiona nods in reply. "Yeah…did you want to stay that course while dropping Ice and Volt?"

"To be honest, I wanted Ice to be my real focus. Of the three elements, it's my favorite." She grabs hold of her arm, adopting a reserved stance as she follows, "That might not be practical, though; Yggdrasil's enemies always have a weakness bias in favor of Volt."

Looking to her, Lissa says, "From what I understand, you've been neglecting other forms of your training just to keep up with your Fencer Skills. I haven't seen you engaging in much cardio training."

"Y- Yeah, it's been mostly standard bodybuilding for me. I don't really need to improve my agility since my Skills get priority from the outset."

"But Fi-Fi, cardio helps with evasion, too; Uncle can't do a whole lot about party-wide attacks."

"That's true, Fae, but I kind of rely on the three of you for that."

"Maybe we should all sit down and talk about it when we get back?"

"Yeah, that might be for the best. For now, let's keep moving." Looking directly behind her, she can see a treasure chest that is out of reach; her left eyebrow twitches with anger in response. A momentary downward glance reveals some sort of glowing pit with tufts of grass growing from its edges. ' _How peculiar._ '

This southern path eventually ends at the floor's first Take Point, though the party elects to skip out on gathering from it. Making their way back to the loop, the other remaining option is now chosen, eventually taking the party through a winding jungle path. As she pushes her way through another bush, Lissa takes a moment to brush the stray leaves off her armor. "Now I'm reminded of the Primitive Jungle. Ugh." Raising her head, she can see that the party has arrived at another dead end; this time, the group stands before several stalks of Forest Wheat. "This stuff must have originated in this Stratum, then; no wonder it can't be found anywhere else." She can hear Valerie's Miasma Armor triggering on its own again, prompting her to turn around and deploy a bunker preemptively. "We've got company!"

Standing before the party are two new foes. The first is a giant ant sporting the color scheme commonly seen on pandas; accompanying it is some sort of subspecies of the Rabid Acorn from the Tutelary Forest. This creature sports three eyes instead of two, and its body composition looks to be comprised of steel. As she readies Chain All, Fiona glances back to Hayato as she shouts, "We need the Blaze Prayer; I'm using Chain Flame this time!"

Valerie makes use of the Stifling Miasma again while Fae tosses a Numbing Bomb. Though the ant is successfully paralyzed, the Rabid Acorn is not. In response to this, Lissa readies her shield and firearm in preparation to counter any oncoming attacks. A quick glance at her rifle confirms that the Blaze Prayer has taken effect. After retaliating with a few rounds to deter the enemy, she notices that the Steel Acorn has assumed some sort of stance. "Fae, Valerie – try inflicting Panic on that acorn! I think it's prepping an attack!" Both of these efforts fail, allowing the acorn to unleash its attack; instead of being a counter, the creature self-destructs, releasing a gas from within its own body that turns the entire party to stone.

Unfortunately for the Panda Ant, it is too busy attacking itself in its own confusion, allowing both Valerie and Hayato time to recover. While the latter chants a prayer to heal the wounds Lissa has sustained, the former charges in to cleave the ant in two, ending the encounter. The effects of Petrifaction eventually subside, returning the other three members of the Seekers to normal. Fae looks around, confused as to why the enemies are gone. "What happened?"

Strapping her scythe to her back, Valerie heaves a sigh before offering an explanation. "So that Steel Acorn killed itself to turn all of us to stone…that's gonna be a right pain in the arse." She opens the Monstrous Codex to get a read on both of the enemies the party just faced, soon beckoning the others to draw near. "The acorn resists all forms of damage and a fair number of our Ailments, too. If we're gonna get anywhere, I'll need to use Wilting Miasma." Looking to Fae, she follows, "I'll have to leave the infliction of Panic to you at that point."

"B- But you're better at landing Ailments than I am. I- I could always throw a bomb to lower their resistances; then you can go in with Chaos Reap." She turns her attention to Fiona. "Um…maybe you shouldn't use Chain All so much; it looks like it takes a lot out of you."

"A fair suggestion, to be true; we'll work something out." After mapping out a slew of additional dead ends, the party arrives at the end of a trail where Forest Berries grow. A quick look around the area suggests that it is free of monsters for the time being. Studying the ripe berries before her, Fiona absently points out that, "We could pick these…" When Fae grabs hold of her hand to lead her away from this place, she can only don a soft smile as she chuckles at the child's cautious behavior. On the cusp of noon, the party arrives at the first door of the Stratum. "This…looks more akin to a vault."

Stepping up to Fiona's side, Valerie takes a moment to study the door's design. "Yeah, no doubt about that." Placing her hand to it causes the door to react; a mechanical whir sounds through the immediate area before the door's green stripes glow and then split apart, revealing the interior to be held together by two transparent blue plates. "Ooh, now that's fancy; I wonder if the mysterious girl will teach me how to make these."

Lissa chuckles at this before asking, "And just what would you do with a door like this?"

"Spruce up my dad's bar, of course! Heh, I'm willing to bet any woman with class would line up to meet a man with such sophisticated tech."

Fae tilts her head at this. "Huh? Are you trying to get your dad to have a harem like Uncle?"

"Eh? No, why do y- actually, wait; how do you even know what a harem is?"

"I asked Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Gwenivere. I, um, got curious after hearing one of Matron's patrons talk about how jealous he was that Uncle got to have one while he didn't." Valerie holds a hand to her mouth in an effort to keep herself from bursting into laughter. Fae is about to question this, but is distracted when everyone else starts snickering uncontrollably. "W- What's so funny?"

Hayato is the first to calm down. "Oh, it's nothing, Fae. Still, I admit I am curious about Valerie's intentions here; is your father…a widower?"

"No, I'm pretty sure my mom is still alive somewhere…not that I really care." Her allies go wide-eyed at this, with Fae asking why Valerie would say such a thing. "I guess I never brought it up." She takes a seat near a colorful flowerbed, gently patting the grass beside her as she says, "Might as well get comfortable." When everyone has taken a seat, she begins her tale. "I admit that I don't know my mom all that well; she left us when I was only 3-years-old. Before I came around, she and my old man were as happy as could be. When they got married, my dad was the first to talk about parenthood. He was…beyond excited at the thought of being a family man. Seeing how happy it made him, mom committed to the idea, even though she herself wasn't too keen on the idea."

Hayato's expression sinks into one of disappointment as he heaves a sigh. "Ah Hell. I see where this is going."

"She couldn't handle being a mother; the responsibility was more than she was equipped for. She knew dad wouldn't send me to anyone else in the family, so her only option was to walk out on the two of us. All he has left of her is the ring he purchased when he proposed; it's a damn good ring, too – I'm surprised she just…gave it back like that."

"I would have never guessed that was your situation."

"I got a lot better at hiding it after I met the Chief. Anyway, my dad never got over losing her. I can tell he still loves her, so it…it hurts, knowing that he's in this kind of pain because of me."

Lissa shakes her head to his. "The result would have been the same, regardless of your father's choice."

"Yeah, he says the same thing whenever I bring it up." She takes a moment to run her fingers along her braided ponytail, her gaze growing more distant. "I want to believe that there's another woman out there capable of making him just as happy as she did, if not happier." She directs her attention back to her comrades, though her gaze is still notably distant. "My dad's the greatest guy I know; he deserves nothing but the best in life." She rises to her feet, prepping her scythe as her Miasma Armor triggers on its own. Heaving a sigh, she assumes her combat stance as Lissa deploys a preemptive bunker. "You know, Lissa and the Chief both told me that Etria's Labyrinth had a clearing just like this; the one with the Venomflies?"

"We don't talk about that clearing anymore, Valerie."

She chuckles at this. "Right, right; my bad!" She looks to the trio of enemies that have surrounded the party; all of them are of the same species, which appear to be human-sized phasmidae. The leaves held behind their backs look to be sturdy enough to be used as shields; in turn, they each wield a blade of grass – a quite literal example of a sword comprised entirely of grass. "By the gods, do the stick bugs of this world really grow to be that big?"

Hayato glances back at her with an incredulous expression on his face. "These things aren't…" He takes another look at the creatures, soon realizing that, "Holy crap, those are stick bugs." He draws the card corresponding to the Blaze Prayer. "Fiona, prep Chain All again; I've got a plan. Fae, try blinding the front row."

"I- I'll do my best." As if predicting her efforts, the Bladed Phasmids on the front row dash to the side to avoid the explosion of the Dark Bomb. "Crap!" In retaliation, one of the bugs rushes in to the back line and takes a slash at both Fae and Hayato, aiming right for their shins. The second Phasmid on the front line does the same to the Seekers' front line, successfully injuring Fiona and Lissa. "Fi-Fi can't use her Chain Skills!" To her relief, two of the Phasmids focus their efforts on taking swings at Lissa's bunker. Readying another Dark Bomb, she watches as Valerie triggers the use of Double Attack between herself and Fiona. Though their efforts do not slay the target, the Phasmid in question is left injured enough for Hayato's Dance Oracle to finish the job.

Fiona is nearly cut down in the rush to slay the remaining two Phasmids, but the Seekers emerge victorious with no casualties. Fae rushes to treat the woman's wounds, starting with her legs. "I am starting to wish I had brought over one of our Leg Guards from Armoroad." Looking to Hayato, she says, "You intended for us to slay them in one go through a combination of Chain Flame and Dance Oracle, didn't you?"

"That's right, but things didn't quite pan out." Opening the Monstrous Codex, he searches up the Phasmid's entry. "Hm…it resists Panic; Blind and Paralysis are our best options." When the party's wounds are properly addressed, the Seekers depart from this area to continue their exploration. Watching Lissa draw the map, Hayato soon takes notice that the party is now suddenly in F7 when they were previously in E1. "Um, guys? I think we should look at the map."

When he points out this oddity, everyone looks to find that the floor loops around itself. Lissa nods at the sight, citing that, "This must be that effect Cyrus was talking about before. I can handle this, so we'll proceed as before." The group arrives at the location of the treasure chest Fiona spotted once before; it contains a copper ingot, which Lissa secures with the party's belongings before departing. When the party reaches a crossroads at E6, they are ambushed by a trio of enemies; two of them are Steel Acorns while the other is a Bladed Phasmid. This Phasmid gets the drop on the front row and takes a slash at all of their legs, successfully injuring each member.

Upon realizing that this creature is a Rare Breed, Fae takes out a special bomb as she triggers a Union Skill between herself, Fiona, and Valerie. "Nice try, bug guy!" She then slams the bomb to the ground; the Rare Breed charges in to finish off the front row, but is surprised to find that all five of its potential targets are gone. Fae's use of Full Retreat allowed the party to warp back to the area with the Geomagnetic Pole. She is granted a respite to treat her comrade's injuries, which she handles with ease. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she lets out a sigh before sitting on the grass. "We were so close to unlocking the shortcut, too." She looks to find that Hayato is holding his chin in his hand; his expression implies that he is making an effort to concentrate on some matter. "Prince? What's wrong?"

He looks to her, his expression easing into something softer. "I think we should get out of here. We can visit the Take Point before we leave, but I can tell that this Stratum is going to be a huge problem." He directs his attention to Fiona as he asks, "Remember the Megavolt Marmots?" She nods. "We need to take some time out to forge that bow that nullifies ambushes."

Heeding Hayato's suggestion, the party returns to the Take Point located at F4. Fae is the first to get to work; she holds up a single flower, one that no one else in the party has ever seen before. "Isn't this pretty? It's called the 'Clock Flower'; it's a flower that blooms according to the time and stores aether." As she carefully stores this flower, she thinks aloud, "I wonder what Mr. Syrik can make using this."

Hayato holds up the stalk of a plant, one that appears to be ordinary until he gets a look at what lies beneath the outer surface. "This stalk has some sort of gelatinous substance under the surface here, but I don't know what it is." Presenting the stalk to Fae, he asks, "Have you seen this before, Fae?"

With barely a glance, Fae says, "That's mesophyll, the stuff that helps the plant handle photosynthesis. We use thick stalks like that when we're making really expensive medicine." A faint aroma wafts beneath her nostrils, causing her to look about the area. Her attention falls on Fiona, who has gathered the third item available at this Stratum's Take Points. "Fi-Fi found the Coriander." Fiona presents the herb to the party before asking Fae of its purpose. "Coriander is used when making All Mist." Placing a finger to her chin, she stares at the herb while she takes a moment to think. "All Mist works just like the regular mists, but it reduces the damage you take from Fire, Ice, and Volt at the same time. The effect is weaker, though." She looks to Hayato, blushing as a smile forms on her face. "The Prince's Elemental Prayers are way better."

Lissa says, "That's everything the client asked for; I wasn't expecting the quest to be so simple." Once the haul is secured, she pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread to warp the party back to Iorys. She and her group first return to the Twilight Tavern, where they turn in the client's requested materials along with their report. "That's about it, Mirina."

"You guys work fast." She takes a moment to smell the Coriander the party brought in. "I gotta say, I'm pretty fond of this herb; maybe I should get some for myself to put around the house." Sensing aether flowing from the immediate area, her attention is drawn to the only Clock Flower the party procured. "That must be the Clock Flower. I wonder if it's absorbing and storing aether as a source of energy."

Fae tilts her head at this. "That would make the plant really greedy; why would it need to absorb the aether when it already has water and sunlight?"

Mirina chuckles at this. "That greediness led to this evolution though; we're not so different from this plant when you think about it."

Fae giggles, nodding as she replies, "Yep! Mommy always scolds me for trying to get ice cream after I eat cake."

Patting her stomach, a wide smile forms on Lissa's face. "Oh, but ice cream after cake is the best, especially when the cake is fresh out the oven."

"Aunt Lissa gets me."

Frowning at this, Mirina says, "I understand where you're coming from, but you can't do that all the time. Unlike the Clock Flower, your body isn't going to respond to all of those sweets the way you want it to." She raises a finger, adopting a towering stance as she readies herself to scold both Fae and Lissa, only to relent. "No, no, wait. I'm doing the smothery mothery thing again, aren't I?" Before anyone can answer this, she hands over six bottles of Nectar, and a bottle of Nectar II. "You've earned this; please take care out there."

The next stop is the marketplace, where Cyrus can be seen assisting Syrik. When the party approaches, the former of the two greets them. "How was the first floor of the 5th Stratum, everyone?" Seeing Lissa's displeased expression, he asks, "Come now, love; was it really so bad?"

"We found Iorys' equivalent to the Venomfly clearing."

"Oh…oh dear." He scans the party to gauge their injuries, but can't find any. "Fae is one Hell of a healer, huh?"

Fiona pats the child on the head, chuckling at the thought. "She most certainly is; imagine how good she'd be if she walked as a Merciful Healer." Putting this out of mind, she works with Valerie to present the materials obtained from the monsters of the Untamed Garden. When Cyrus' eyes widen upon seeing the Burnt Leafblade obtained from the Bladed Phasmids, Fiona says, "You look like you've seen a ghost, dear."

"With this, we can finally make Iorys' equivalent to the Brawn Ring." Another glance at Fiona brings concern. "What's the matter, Fiona? You're looking despondent."

"Damn, was it that obvious?" She sighs, shaking her head. "I'm thinking about taking a break to rethink my Skill focus again; I was wondering if you'd make some time to sit down and think it over with me."

"Is that all?" He chuckles. "And here I was being worried; I was just about to depart, actually, so we can have that discussion now if you wish."

Stepping forward, Hayato says, "Actually…there is one more problem; we need that bow you make using materials from the Bucking Giraffe." Cyrus raises an eyebrow to this. "We faced two consecutive ambushes, the latter of which had a Rare Breed in it. If it weren't for Fae saving her Union Skill for emergencies, we'd probably be dead right now."

"That is a problem. Lissa, I'll take your spot in the party for the moment." He snaps his fingers to summon a portal of darkness; from this, he pulls his sword, which is promptly secured behind his waist. "Are you all good to go to the Jagged Reach right now or do you require rest?" Everyone looks to Fiona, who can only frown at being put on the spot. "Fiona?"

"I was using Chain All pretty frequently up there, but I'm fine, really. I'm good to go."

"Hm…" He glances back at Syrik's workstation, soon returning his attention to his allies as he says, "Wait for me at Jenetta's Inn; I'll be there in a little over an hour."

Tilting her head at this, Valerie asks, "Is there something you need to make, Chief?"

"Yes, but I won't be long." True to his word, he returns to Jenetta's Inn shortly after the hour strikes 3PM. His allies are still garbed in their gear, save for Lissa, who is sporting casual clothes as she sits on the sofa next to Fiona. Mr. Friedrich rests on her lap, having made himself quite comfortable while Lissa occasionally scratches behind his ear. "Sorry for the wait, everyone."

Fiona rises from her seat as she asks, "Did you finish making what you were interested in?" Her eyes are drawn by his hand moving to his pocket. ' _Wait._ ' Seeing Cyrus pull a small black box from this pocket causes her eyes to go wide, as well as a blush to form on her cheeks. "Cyrus, wait a second. I-" Her blush intensifies; she takes a step backwards, breaking eye contact. "I'd like some more time to think about this; I love you, and you know this, but I haven't even introduced you to my father, yet. We can't…"

A chuckle escapes him as he approaches. Presenting the box, he deftly opens it to reveal a verdant ring set with multiple scarlet gems. "This isn't an engagement ring, Fiona; I have yet to think of a ring worthy of such an occasion. Please, present your sword hand." She does as requested, but has yet to reestablish eye contact. Her blush persists as he slides the ring onto her finger. "Another perfect fit, and may I say it looks divine on you."

An incredible surge of strength courses through Fiona after a moment. She holds her hand close to her chest, needing to catch her breath after the effects of the ring take hold. "I don't think you understand how addictive that power surge is. It feels incredible."

Cyrus dons a conniving grin as he asks, "Do you need to change your clothes?" Fiona's expression loses its blush entirely, immediately being replaced with a frown and a puffed cheek. "Do you truly?" Upon seeing her eyebrow twitch, he is overcome with a sudden surge of regret. "Wait, I'm so-" He is promptly cut off by Fiona flicking his nose with her finger. His nose glows red as he clutches it and suppresses a scream. Fiona grants him a moment to adjust to this pain before moving his hand away from his face to plant a kiss upon his lips. She thanks him for the ring, smiling sweetly in turn. "Smile as sweetly as you want; it doesn't take away the pain I feel."

Fae skips over to Cyrus, holding up an herb as she beckons him to take a knee. He does as instructed, allowing the child to heal his nose at a speed that is much faster than its natural rate. "There. All better."

"Ah, thank you, Fae; it's nice to know someone is looking out for me." He glares at Fiona as he says this, only to get a callous shrug as a reply. To this, he can only heave a sigh; turning his attention to Lissa, he asks, "Love, do you mind if I head to the Untamed Garden in your stead?"

"Not especially, but are you sure you want to do that?"

"I'd like to judge Fiona's current predicament for myself before we commit to a shift in focus." He looks to Fiona as he asks, "I trust that is acceptable?"

"Yeah, sure." She looks to see Valerie and Hayato descending from the floor above. "I guess it's time to visit the Jagged Reach." Grabbing her rapier, she rests a hand on Cyrus' shoulder as she says, "Let's get this done before nightfall." The endeavor to slay enough Bucking Giraffes to fully forge the bow Hayato requires takes two hours, though the party puts in so much of an effort to rush that Cyrus, Fiona, and Hayato are exhausted by the time they are done. Fiona now sits upon her bed at the inn, looking to Hayato as he tightens the string on his new bow. "Are you a fan of archery, Lord Hayato?"

"I wasn't at first; I only took up practice with it because my older sister wouldn't stop bothering me. Something about wanting to bond by using the same weapon." He scoffs, though his smile suggests that the memory in question is a fond one. "Honestly, she's better with a katana anyway. Sometimes, I just don't get how Saeko works. You got any siblings like that, Fiona?"

"Afraid not. I'm an only child, actually, and an adopted one at that. If my birth parents have any other kids, I've never met them."

"You're adopted? So are you not an Armoroad native?"

"I'm not. I'm from Sheba, one of Armoroad's neighboring cities. My parents weren't that well off; their financial situation was bad well before I was born, but the two had faith that things would improve so that I wouldn't grow up in poverty…they were mistaken." She heaves a sigh, shifting her gaze to the floorboards. "The two reluctantly turned me over to an orphanage when I was 5. They weren't bad people by any stretch – just really bad with money."

"So what's your current family like?"

"I was adopted by a former pirate." Seeing Hayato's incredulous reaction to this causes her to have a brief laughing fit. "He taught me all sorts of things about the world, and is the reason I know how to use a sword." She rests her elbows on her thighs, slumping to rest her head in her hands in turn. "He's a good man; thinking about how the loss of my original Guild almost drove me to suicide, I can't help but feel terrible." Glancing at Hayato, she follows, "For that brief instant, I had forgotten all about the things he had lost, and what more he stood to lose if something were to happen to me."

"He's single?"

"Aye. He was married before he adopted me. His wife was frail in body, but strong in spirit; I'm told she'd endure the sort of pain that would bring the strongest man to his knees. She…pushed herself too far, though; she had her heart set on being a mother, in spite of her frailty."

Setting his bow aside, Hayato rests his hands on his lap. "Your father got swept up in the tide of her resolve, didn't he?"

"Indeed. She died during the delivery – the daughter they were set to raise…didn't make it either." She heaves another sigh, raising her head to gaze at the ceiling. "Honestly, I couldn't believe he was able to keep going after that."

"His wife wouldn't have wanted him to give up like that; his choice honors her memory, I feel."

"Yeah, I think he was trying to show that same resolve she once did. I never met her, but I hope I've made her proud…my sister, too. You know, I was surprised to hear Valerie's story; I didn't think we'd be that similar."

"I wasn't expecting your situations to be so disheartening."

Fiona chuckles at this, much to Hayato's surprise. "Did you think Cyrus and Amy were the only two?"

"I was…" He sighs, rubbing the back of his head as he, too, takes to staring at the floor. "I was hoping against hope that such suffering wouldn't extend beyond them."

Cyrus steps into the room after giving a few knocks at the open door. "The Seekers' banner attracts those in need of purpose, Lord Hayato; you're bound to get a few members who've lost their way entirely, and that often carries with it…a heavy burden." Looking to Fiona, he says, "I know I don't say it often, but I am glad that we met; I might not have improved as a person otherwise."

She chuckles at this, her eyes gentle as she replies, "You think you're grateful? I'd probably be at the bottom of the ocean if it weren't for you." Seeing his expression sink into a deeper sadness, she crosses her arms as a soft smile traces on her lips. "Don't worry about the 'what-ifs', Cyrus; they're not important." He takes a seat on the bed across from her and Hayato, resting his sword against the nightstand that divides the two. "What's the matter?"

"Just…thinking about some things, things that I can't change." He sighs, offering a self-depreciative chuckle in turn. "I know how pointless that is, but I can't help it. Fiona, don't hesitate to speak with me if you ever start suffering a relapse."

"With all due respect, love, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who should be saying that to you." The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps draws her attention to the room's exit; Fae quickly dashes into view, cradling a small pillar of what appear to be chocolate chip cookies in her tiny yet protective embrace. The child rushes to the bed and jumps behind Cyrus, putting in a great deal of effort to steady herself. "Fae? What's wrong?" Gwenivere arrives soon after, stepping into the room as she adopts an indignant stance. "Hey, Gwen…are you OK?"

"Where is the child?"

' _Oh shit, what did she do?!_ '

Gwenivere looks at her husband, sensing that there is an additional presence behind him. "Fae, I know you're there; cease your hiding and face me." Fae knows that this order is absolute, and does as she is told. "Now, you know good and well that it is improper to indulge in cookies before dinner." Fae tries to put forth an explanation, only to stumble and falter as her fear of Gwenivere's wrath leaves her tongue-tied. "No excuses, young lady; you have been taught better than this. Cyrus. You reprimand her as well."

"Dearest wife, I believe we are all operating under a misunderstanding right now."

She raises an eyebrow to this, though her irate expression does not subside. "Explain yourself."

"The reason Fae is armed with so many cookies is because I instructed her to obtain them." Seeing that Gwenivere is not satisfied with this, he continues, "I wanted to check up on Fiona, intent on establishing a foundation before securing a means of improving her mood." He pats Fae on the head as he says, "Fae was that insurance; attacking the sweet tooth is a universal means of restoring the mood of anyone, especially women."

Her once irate countenance gives way to reluctant acceptance. "I cannot deny this, but why would she flee?"

"Y- You yelled at me…I got scared."

"A- Ah, yes, of course, how brash of me." She blushes, looking towards the floor in shame. "I will make things right; Amy is baking a cake right now – we can all share in its decadence as a family." She motions into a curtsey before stepping out into the hall. "My deepest apologies, my sweet little angel; I should not have jumped to such conclusions. I should know better than anyone how well-mannered you are. If you'll excuse me."

She bows in apology before heading downstairs. When Cyrus is certain that she is gone, he chuckles before hugging Fae. "Never fear, my little angel; Uncle will have your back."

Hayato sputters at this. "Wait, that was an act? You lied?"

"Yes. Gwenivere can be quite a force when she's cross."

"Cyrus, when we have kids, you are so never doing this behind my back."

"We're having kids, now?"

"Um, yes? My father wants grandchildren, and I happen to have a desire to give my child a chance to live a better life than I did." She looks at him with a sad gaze. "Do you…not find me to be a suitable mother?"

"I- I didn't say that, Fiona." He sighs before taking one of the cookies held in Fae's embrace. Giving this cookie a slight wave, he follows, "Besides, you said so yourself – we can't talk about marriage or children until after I've met your old man." He takes a bite of the cookie in his grip, noting its soft and gooey texture. "You'll make a fine parent, love. Just…"

"Just what?"

"Just don't pass down your habit of flicking people's noses."

"Oh, that." She scoffs before stepping over to receive a cookie from Fae. Before taking a bite, she places a kiss upon Cyrus' cheek and says, "I'll think about it." Seeing his displeased expression causes her to laugh. "That face doesn't suit you, love."


	44. Is It You

**Chapter 44: Is It You**

The Seekers return to the 21st floor once night falls. The stars roll along above, just beyond the reaches of the dome separating the Untamed Garden's interior from the cold reaches of space. Cyrus takes a moment to breathe in the Stratum's air, noting its crisp and refreshing scent. He sighs as he says, "If the sky wasn't so obvious, you'd never be able to tell this place was artificial." He unfurls the map, scanning what has been charted thus far. "Hm, so it really does boast the same wrap effect of the Misty Ravine. Fascinating." He starts walking along the southern path beyond the Geomagnetic Pole, prompting his allies to hurry to his side so that they won't fall behind. Upon noticing how close the last party was to the shortcut, a frown forms his countenance. "Now's that's a damn shame; we have quite a ways to go if we're going to get back on pace."

An hour of travel brings the party back to the intersection at E1. The path to the north has yet to be charted, catching Cyrus' attention. Hayato preps his bow, calling for his allies to ready for combat. A trio of enemies jumps from the shrubbery in an attempt to ambush the Seekers, but the effort is thwarted. "Geez, the first encounter is an ambush? This Stratum doesn't mess around."

Drawing his sword, Cyrus scans the enemy formation. An Ice Squirrel occupies the back line, offering support to the pair of Steel Acorns up front. As he summons a slew of frigid blades, he takes aim at the Ice Squirrel. "Haste Prayer, Wilting Miasma, and Smokeblight. Fiona, Chain All."

His allies take to their actions immediately, with Hayato taking the initiative to call upon the effects of Haste Prayer to bolster his party's evasion. ' _Please let this be enough; Cyrus is dead if it's lacking._ ' He watches as Fae tosses a bomb at the Steel Acorns to trigger the effect of Smokeblight; ' _Why the front line?_ ' His thoughts are interrupted by the sight of Valerie jumping into the air; she spins in place, sending forth a small black tornado that lowers the enemies' susceptibility to ailments. When she lands on the ground, her Miasma Armor triggers, enveloping her form in its concealing mist.

Valerie steps to the side as one of the acorns attempts to strike her, but Fiona is not so fortunate; not only does she take a hit from the other acorn, she is also struck by the stray shards of ice from the squirrel's attempt to strike Cyrus. ' _Fiona's going for Chain Killer – I better get that squirrel._ ' True to her assumption, Fiona prepares to use Chain Killer; to fulfill her role, Valerie charges past the acorns to swing her scythe at the Ice Squirrel. The creature rears its head back enough to avoid decapitation, but the blade's contact with its now severed horns was enough to transfer the effects of poison. The squirrel is barely given a moment to process the sickness it now suffers before Fiona is directly in front of it. A brief chirp, shrill and fleeting, momentarily rings through the air before being snuffed out by two swift stabs to the throat. Carrying with this momentum, Fiona rushes the nearest acorn and stabs one of its eyes.

Fae's Dark Bomb fails to impair the vision of the acorns, allowing the both of them to headbutt her and Valerie. Fae kicks her assailant away, a notable scowl on her face. "Pesky thing!" This same acorn adopts a stance, making Fae's eyes go wide. "That one is gonna petrify us!"

On this note, Cyrus rushes in and stabs the creature in both of its other eyes, successfully blinding it. Fiona rushes in with a follow-up via Chain Freeze, making an effort to pierce the creature's shell. Her efforts are not enough, prompting Valerie to charge in with a frost-imbued swing, which provides Fiona with an additional follow-up that slays the acorn. Making use of her momentum once again, she rushes the remaining enemy to stab it with Chain Burst. Valerie leans over to Cyrus as she says, "Remind me to never piss her off."

"Only if you take the time to remind me of the same." Valerie voices her agreement to these terms before jumping away from him. The remaining Steel Acorn makes an effort to tackle him, only to be avoided and stabbed in the eye. Cyrus holds the creature on his blade for a moment before slamming it to the ground. "You lack focus." In response to this, the acorn hops back and prepares to explode, which causes Cyrus to raise an eyebrow. ' _That…won't help you, though?_ ' He shrugs before commanding his team to raise their guard instead of attacking. The Steel Acorn explodes, but only succeeds in inflicting Petrifaction on Cyrus. When Cyrus is freed of this ailment, he chuckles before sheathing his blade and looking to his comrades. "A foolish last resort, I must say."

Valerie snickers at this, shooting a grin at him as she says, "A shame you were the only one who got afflicted, eh, Chief?"

"A little bothersome, yes, but it was all according to keikaku, my dearest apprentice." After mapping the dead end that lies beyond the path the Seekers had yet to traverse, the group presses on to E7. "This path directly ahead of us continues to the north." His countenance displays a conflicted expression as he stares at the map in an effort to decide how to proceed. He ultimately decides that this path would be best saved for later, and instead proceeds south. A dead end lies beyond the next turn that Lissa's party had not taken; here, the group finds a patch of plants sporting green leaves. "These…make me uneasy."

"Is something wrong, Uncle?"

He crouches down to study the plants more closely, soon noting that the leaves are not as they appear to be. "These are thorns." Fae sits beside him to confirm this for herself, taking the moment to point out that the thorns are shaped like talons. They are also coated in sap, which glistens in the moonlight. "These thorny talons end in hook-like barbs, too; coming into contact with a plant like this would be most unpleasant." He rises to his feet before taking hold of Fae's hand to lead her and the rest of the party away from this place. "There's nothing for us here."

As the hour strikes 10PM, the party arrives at a dead end in E5. Here, rather than ending with a small enclosure, the path's final destination is comprised of a wide grassland. A flock of fowls with long, blue tail feathers is gathered nearby. Pointing at the flock, Fae says, "Those are really pretty."

Hayato crosses his arms as he says, "I've never seen this species before. I wonder if Clarisse knows about them." Looking to Cyrus, he asks, "What's our plan?"

"They aren't bothering us, and we have no need for additional rations." Turning away from the flock, he begins to backtrack. "I shall not slaughter nature for the Hell of it; let's press on." Just as the shortcut the party seeks to unlock is within sight, they are beset by a trio of enemies. A Bladed Phasmid occupies the front line while two Steel Acorns support it from the back row. "So that's the stick bug?" Fiona nods to him as she readies her offensive stance. ' _Hm…better go full on the offensive._ ' He glances to Fiona as he says, "Ready Chain Flame – we're going in." Despite gaining support from Valerie's use of Wilting Miasma, he fails to blind the Bladed Phasmid. He takes a few strides back to put distance between himself and this dangerous foe, only to be blindsided by both of the Steel Acorns. One slams its head into his stomach, granting the other the opportunity to slam into his face and knock him unconscious.

After unleashing three follow-ups with Chain Flame, Fiona adopts a defensive stance upon noticing that the Blade Phasmid is about to strike at her shins. The creature fails to hinder either her or Valerie, and falls back to its allies. ' _Cyrus is down, but I don't think we have time to resuscitate him._ ' Seeing that Fae is readying an herb to heal Valerie, she nods to this. "Lord Hayato, heal me with Heaven's Gift!" Though she doesn't benefit from the boost in action speed, her call allows for both her and Valerie to have their wounds mended without sacrificing Valerie's ability to fuel Chain Flame, which is what grants the opportunity to slay the Phasmid.

Unfortunately, the Steel Acorns aren't deterred by the fall of their comrade, and motion to attack Fiona and Hayato while they are busy assessing the situation. One of the acorns adopts the stance that signals the use of Petra Bomber, forcing the entire party to go on the defensive. Fiona is the only one to suffer the effects of the Ailment. Valerie attempts to poison the remaining foe with Toxic Reap, but her efforts are met with failure. As Fae revives Cyrus, she can see that the final foe is prepping Petra Bomber in turn. "Wait." She then turns around to slam some sort of herb into Cyrus' face; this keeps him from turning to stone, but Fae is not nearly as fortunate. When she recovers, she is in the middle of shouting at Cyrus to brace himself; her voice quickly trails off as she realizes that he is fine. "What happened?"

He pats her on the head. "You went and prioritized me again, little one; I'm grateful, truly, but you can't keep doing that."

"But you keep getting hurt."

"That…" He groans, the threat of his injuries returning in full force. "Wow, that hurts. Um…that was on me for not employing the same strategy we ran against the earlier enemy set. I figured we could slay that Phasmid in one volley, but I failed to factor in the chance for Fiona to not trigger Chain Double." He sighs, shaking his head as he says, "I'm supposed to be better than this; I'm sorry."

"I- It's OK, Uncle; you're doing your best." After she tends to his wounds, she helps him to his feet. Looking up at the team's leader, her eyes have donned their sparkle, but are notably clouded with concern. "Aunt Lissa says you only act reckless when you really trust us…"

"I…never really thought about it that way." He looks to Fiona as he asks, "Is that true?"

"It certainly has merit."

Crossing her arms, Valerie adopts a displeased expression as she says, "Well I don't like the way that was worded; that makes it sound like the Chief always plays things safe because he doesn't trust us." Looking to Cyrus, she says, "I know better than most that isn't the case. It's…it's better to say you get reckless when you're comfortable, which is definitely something I can attest to." She steps over and grabs hold of his hand, looking him in the eyes as she says, "Just lead us the way you normally would; don't worry about how you used to be, alright?" His uncertainty is on full display at present, coupled with his inability to maintain eye contact. Sighing at this, she gently grabs hold of his face so that he hasn't a choice but to look at her. "You're not alone anymore; I'm here with you – the others, too."

He isn't given a moment to think on the matter, for Valerie pulls him along the path so that the party can continue forward. The first shortcut is finally unlocked, which causes everyone except Cyrus to exhale a sigh of relief. Looking at the map, Hayato can see that the bottom section of the floor has been filled out, "But there's yet more ground to cover. This floor might be larger than the 15th…and I wasn't even around to explore that one." There is a door directly ahead, but the party moves past it in favor of scouting out the remainder of the eastern edge of the map. Another treasure chest beckons from beyond the reaches of a pit, bringing an irate expression to Fiona's countenance. "Whoever designed this place certainly enjoys taunting you."

"Yeah, don't remind me." She points an accusatory finger at the treasure chest, glaring angrily as she says, "Soon." When Cyrus grabs her hand and begins to lead her away, she makes a non-committed effort to stand her ground. "I'm not finished yet!"

"Yes you are." Taking a glance at the map, he realizes something. "Hm, I have no way of confirming this at the moment, but something tells me that the northern path in E7 would have taken us to that chest."

Fiona scoffs at this. "Unlikely. It strikes me as more likely for this chest to require us to loop around from D1."

"That's also a fair assumption." The path the party has chosen to traverse is linear but winding, sporting a few turns before Cyrus calls for a halt. "Nearly had a bad run-in with a hole in the ground." The hole is quite sizable, and sports a surrounding mound of dirt that rises into a small hill. "This might be an ant hill." He looks around the immediate vicinity, but doesn't sense the presence of any ants. "They must not be active right now." He scribes a brief note onto the map before leading his party away from this location. "Time to proceed through that door." Beyond the door at D6 is the den of a new FOE. Though he strains his eyes, the details of the creature are difficult to discern. "It's definitely some sort of creature capable of flight. Hold a moment."

He takes a step closer to the creature, entering its line of sight and garnering its aggression. Stepping to the side, Cyrus notes that the creature immediately loses interest. Pulling out the map, he sighs whilst shaking his head. Valerie steps over to watch him work, occasionally glancing at the flying creature to make sure it doesn't become aggressive again. "The first step is noting its patrol route, yeah?"

"Indeed. We'll mark its path with gray paint for now." When the creature takes a moment to roost, it stands idle before suddenly extending a myriad of spikes from all over its form. Everyone's eyes go wide at this. "Hoo~ that is not OK. It looks to be some sort of chick, but its size suggests that it's of a mature age. Curious." Glancing at the sky above, he says, "Kinda wish it was day time so we could get a better look at this."

Straining her own eyes in turn, Fiona says, "Those beady yellow eyes are kinda cute, actually. Not feelin' the spikes, though."

This new FOE runs a simple loop around a large structure. Due to the size of this structure, the Seekers are able to weave into the patrol route without being spotted. The hour strikes 1AM as they step through the door that leads into the northern borderline of C7. A yawn escapes Fae as she looks around. "The sky is really pretty at night; so many stars…"

Looking up alongside her, Hayato says, "You don't usually get this good of a look at the stars. Even our home on the Kreuz Plains can't top this." Looking to his comrade, he asks, "How are you doing, by the way?" She tilts her head at him, not understanding his question. "You miss your family, right?"

"Uh huh, but I've been writing letters to my Mommy and Daddy." She giggles as she follows, "They're glad I'm getting along with everyone. What about you, Prince?"

"The clan is doing well in my absence, though my mother is worried about me, as ever. Father has noted that word of our Guild has reached the home front, and though I'm certain he'd rather hear of me slaying monsters as a Divine Punisher, I…think he's pleased."

"W- Well, he should be; you're a great person, Prince."

"Heh, thanks, Fae." Seeing that Fae's expression has lost its usual shimmer, he dons a worried countenance as he asks, "What's the matter? Are you suddenly tired?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm OK…I just…well…"

Hayato pats her on the shoulder, chuckling as he says, "Oh, come now; we're allies, right? You can tell me anything that's on your mind."

"Prince…do you have a girlfriend?"

"Huh? No."

"Does someone have her eye on you back home?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"A- And, you're not engaged?"

"Nope. My mother would never consent to an arranged marriage unless she knew that my betrothed and I would be happy with the arrangement." He lets a chuckle slip as he crosses his arms and turns his attention back to the path ahead. "I get to enjoy my bachelor years for a fair bit longer." They walk in silence together for a brief moment; on Hayato's part, he was anticipating another question from Fae. When he takes a glance at her, he can see that her smile has returned, and that her expression is beaming. He smiles at this in turn, chuckling again as he says, "There's the smile I like. So are you feeling better?"

She nods twice before taking a step forward to hug him tightly. "Thanks, Prince; I'm better now." She separates from him so that she may take hold of his hand as they walk together. Her smile persists before she motions into a light jog to catch up to the others. The path loops around to B1, where the Seekers come across another door and a fishing spot. Through the door is a large expanse harboring two of the flying FOE. Seeing what is likely a narrow corridor in the distance, Fae points to it as she says, "This'll be easy."

True to her claim, the endeavor is simple indeed, allowing the Seekers to pass through the next door as the hour strikes 3AM. Looking about his party, Cyrus asks, "Is anyone tired?" Everyone shakes their heads to this notion. "Fae, are you certain you're alright?"

She pats her stomach as she says, "I gotta burn that sugar, Uncle, or else I'll get fat." She rises from the fallen tree branch she was using as a seat to run circles around him. "We're almost done anyway, right?" She points at the map as she says, "The second shortcut is really close." Placing a finger to her chin, she follows, "There's a shortcut in this room we're in, too; I think it'll take us to the treasure chest Fi-Fi wanted." She is promptly swept off her feet by Fiona. "Whoa!"

"Onward, to treasure!" The treasure chest that once taunted her is relieved of its contents, granting the party another bottle of Soma Prime. "Alright, now to finish up the floor." As she makes her way back, she passes by Cyrus, who is busy looking over the map. "Something wrong?"

"This treasure chest's area doesn't link up with that path I mentioned from earlier; I wonder what was at that dead end…the second Take Point, possibly?"

Valerie shakes her head to this. "Not likely, Chief; the second gathering point of any given floor is usually near the ascending staircase, right?"

"Yeah, you're right…this is gonna bug me, but we can't really do anything about it until tomorrow." He sighs, shaking his head as he turns to backtrack alongside his team. "I'll put it out of mind for now." The room beyond the next door is a narrow but long-reaching corridor harboring two of the flying FOE. "Oh boy." The plan for this expanse is to draw both birds to the entrance, and then proceed through the area once their routes sync up. The execution of this plan runs into a minor complication when Cyrus and Valerie accidentally open the door too soon, thus regaining the attention of one of the birds, but the endeavor is otherwise simple.

Beyond this final FOE den is a pillar of green light that will take its passengers to the 22nd floor. The shortcut leading back to the clearing that harbors the Geomagnetic Pole is quite a distance away; the sun has fully risen by the time they reach and unlock it. The path extends beyond, suggesting that the second Take Point of the floor is located here. To everyone's surprise, this is not the case. There is instead another hole in the ground that marks the presence of the second ant hill the Seekers have discovered. Placing a hand on her hip, Valerie says, "Huh, I guess the second Take Point was at that dead end. Guess we'll go back for it later."

Instead of using an Ariadne Thread to warp out of the Labyrinth, the party takes the extra effort to walk back to the nearby Geomagnetic Pole. Upon returning to Iorys, the group proceeds to the Council Hall, where Ramus is preparing to go about his early morning duties. He turns to greet the party with his usual smile. "Good morning, Seekers. You're here early." Receiving the map from Cyrus, he lets a chuckle slip. "This could have waited until after you were more rested, Cyrus."

"We just back from the Labyrinth, sire." Ramus arches an eyebrow at this, eliciting a chuckle from Cyrus in turn. "Exploring the second half of the 21st floor took all night."

"Your dedication to this line of work is inspiring; I suppose it should come as no surprise that the leaders of the various races were shocked to learn of your exploits." Looking to Fae, he asks, "Are you doing alright, little Fae?"

"Yep! I'm a little tired now, though…" Ramus chuckles at this before dismissing the party. Their next stop is the Explorers Guild, where Amy can be seen training with a group of Pugilists. As she and the party draw closer, Fae points at the sight while asking, "What's Aunt Amy doing?"

Valerie says, "I think she's giving a lesson." Egar approaches, prompting her to raise a hand in greeting. "Mornin', Guildmaster."

"To you as well, Ebon Arbiter. Though it hasn't been long since we last spoke, I trust that you and yours are doing well?"

"We are, yes; we just made it to the 22nd floor this morning."

"This…morning?"

Hayato steps forward. "We were in the Labyrinth all night; we made it to the next floor before the sun rose, but we still needed to unlock the shortcut leading back to the Geomagnetic Pole."

"Ah, I see. Your progress is impressive. I was speaking with Lissa yesterday about the 5th Stratum; I am told that it's an artificial grove that stands above the sky itself?" Cyrus nods to this, in turn offering a brief explanation on how the Untamed Garden rests within space. "Such concepts are beyond my own comprehension; it sounds like a work of fiction fabricated by an over imaginative bard."

Cyrus offers a chuckle in reply. "I can't help but feel inclined to agree. The denizens of previous iterations of Erdboden have traveled beyond the stars, but those of my iteration do not possess such technology."

"Do you know their reasons? For leaving Erdboden, I mean."

He shakes his head. "There could be any number of reasons, honestly. The old me might have sought to leave Erdboden in order to find a place to belong." His expression shifts to convey a sense of forlorn, his gaze more distant than before. "When the entire planet becomes your enemy, packing up to live on another doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Hm, perhaps the planet was plundered of its resources, so the inhabitants could no longer sustain themselves. I can't imagine that actually happening, though."

Crossing her arms, Valerie says, "Me neither. We humans are pretty wasteful, sure, but to wring the entire planet dry?" She shudders at the thought, a notable chill coursing through her entire being. "I want to believe that we'd never get that bad."

"My comprehension of the notion aside, I am willing to take your word for it. Perhaps I will one day visit this Stratum myself." He bids the party farewell from here, citing that he must assist Amy with the training session of these novice Pugilists. Though concerned with the potentially endangered well-being of the recruits, the party takes its leave, making the Twilight Tavern the next destination.

Stepping inside, the party's attention is immediately caught by a lone Earthlain who is looking about the bar in search of someone. When they approach, he turns to them and offers a greeting. "Good morning. I don't suppose you've met any of the explorers from the Seekers Guild, have you? I'm told they've reached the 5th Stratum, and if that's true, there's something I wish to ask."

Feeling the eyes of his comrades fall on him, Cyrus heaves a light sigh before saying, "I happen to be the leader of the Seekers; how may we assist you?"

The man's eyes widen at this. "What a stroke of luck! Heavens be praised. Might I ask if you've noticed any insectoid monsters in the 5th Stratum?" Rather than providing a verbal answer, Cyrus opens the Monstrous Codex to show the Panda Ant as well as the Bladed Phasmid. "I see, I see…then I'll have to make this an official request after all. Please, speak with me again after I've issued this."

Instead of speaking with the man immediately after the quest is issued, the Seekers strike up conversation with Mirina. She looks to them, her expression thoughtful as she says, "I guess you were serious…about the 5th Stratum, I mean. When word got out, Celestrian scholars from Sidonia started arriving in droves." She rests a hand on her hip. "As you can imagine, they're obsessed with solving the great mystery of Yggdrasil." She cracks a smirk as she follows, "You're the ones who are going to find out first, and it's going to be a big deal – better be ready for it."

Glancing at the clipboard used for jotting down requests, Cyrus can see that one of them is from Mirina herself. "Hey, Matron? What's this quest here?"

"Ah, that one's from me. As for the circumstances behind it…I can't tell you just yet." Cyrus raises an eyebrow to this, which brings a look of guilt to Mirina's expression. "I don't mean to be obtuse about this, Cyrus. If you happen upon the answer I'm looking for, I'll let you know. Sending you in blind is usually against my policy, so I really hate to do this…"

Holding up a hand, Cyrus shakes his head. "You worry too much; what do you need?"

"…Thanks, Cyrus. I want to learn more about the area between the Lucent Hollows and the Untamed Garden. When you were on the 19th floor, did you notice anything…suspicious there?" She looks down at the counter as Cyrus unfurls the map of the 19th floor. He points at the western half of the floor, specifically at the exit-end of a shortcut that the party never found the entry-way for. "So it's here…"

"Matron, if you're thinking about going there yourself – don't. The crystals blocking the way are currently too difficult to shatter."

"I see. Alright then, you can make your report now; that's it for this quest." Everyone in the party adopts incredulous expressions as they gesture at her in a questioning manner. Mirina has a short laugh at this, going so far as to turn away from the Seekers while holding a hand to her mouth. When she calms down, she waves at them as she says, "I know I'm standing right here, but those are the rules. I'll explain everything – I promise."

Shrugging to this, Cyrus can only shake his head as he says, "I suppose we haven't a choice."

With the report made, Mirina sighs in relief. "Glad to be done with the formalities; you've been a big help, as always. Now then…before I posted this request, there was a fetch quest taken on by other explorers; the client was asking for a lot of different items from the 19th floor, so I hired multiple Guilds for the job."

Tilting her head at this, Valerie says, "Sounds like business as usual to me."

"Yeah, I thought the same, but then every single Guild that went in returned to me, beaten half to death by monster attacks. Their situations were so critical that I had to cancel the request myself."

Fae asks, "Are they doing alright now?"

Mirina shakes her head. "They're in bad shape, Fae. After suffering injuries like those, they might never be the same, and they certainly won't be able to get back to exploring anytime soon." She falls silent, her eyes taking on a despondent gleam as her gaze falls to the counter once more. "That blunder was a poor reflection of my ability to judge a request's potential difficulty. I wanted to confirm, so I asked around in an effort to find out if anything unusually dangerous was on the 19th floor." She shakes her head. "All reports came back negative."

Fiona chuckles before she says, "So you turned to us; your reputation was on the line – I get that. For what it's worth, we don't take offense to this, or at least I don't."

Hayato looks to Mirina as he says, "We would have helped you either way, so I don't see much of a point in being so secretive."

"Thanks, everyone. Thanks to you, I understand how dangerous the area is, so I can adjust my requests accordingly." She places a box onto the counter; within it are seven bottles of Therica A lined in one row and seven bottles of Therica B in another. "You have my gratitude."

"Are there any other requests, Ms. Matron?"

"Um…yes, actually. Aside from the one Vernon just put in, there's also one from Guildmaster Egar…well…it's from his wife." She glances at the clipboard again, adjusting her glasses as she reads it. "I've been asked to find an acorn shell as hard as iron for…reasons." Valerie and Cyrus snicker at this. "Yeah, yeah, it's all very amusing, I'm sure; anyway, you can probably get the full details from the Guildmaster." Setting the clipboard down, she follows, "Vernon is an entomologist, so I imagine the specifics of this quest will deal with the 5th Stratum's insects in some manner."

"Guess we're talking with him before we leave." Cyrus motions into a bow before bidding Mirina farewell. Returning to Vernon, he says, "We've accepted your request, so may we have the details now?"

"Yes, certainly; you all have my sincerest gratitude. Now, by your account, there are monochrome ants known as Panda Ants in the 5th Stratum. The knowledge I seek pertains to the flavors the Panda Ants favor. For this experiment, you will need one loaf of Super Sweet Bread and one loaf of Extra Spicy Bread." Cyrus visibly shivers at the mention of the second. "Not a fan of spicy foods, good sir?"

"Not in the slightest, friend." He receives both loaves in question from Vernon. "I imagine these are unfit for human consumption?"

"Your imagination rings true. Don't nibble on either loaf; I can guarantee that you'll regret such actions. Please gather detailed notes as you observe the ants' reaction."

Looking up to Cyrus, Fae says, "I guess we have work to do on the 21st floor before we can take care of the 22nd, huh?"

He pats her on the head, chuckling as he says, "That we do, little one, but Gwenivere will be swapping into your place when we go to study the ants; you need your rest more than any of us." Thinking on the matter for a moment, he soon says, "I could just go on my own, but if the ants react violently to the bread, it'd be much better to have backup."

Holding her fists to her chest, Fae adopts a look of determination. "That's why you should take me with you! Those ants are weak to all of my Ailments, especially Blind!" She then surprises Cyrus by jumping up and latching onto his right arm. "I'm going! No buts!" He looks down at her to see the child staring into his soul with her stern gaze. Before long, he sighs and calls for his party to follow him to the Explorers Guild. Cyrus' lack of protest brings a smile to Fae's face as she gets comfortable. ' _Heh, got 'em~_ '

When the Seekers step inside of the grand hall, the Pugilists from before are now all sitting on the floor, each of them taking what can only be assumed to be a hard-earned break. A towel is draped around Amy's neck as she looks over the recruits; her usually gentle red eyes are now calculative, as if scanning for weakness. Egar steps over to address the party once again. "Back so soon?" He looks to see that Fae is clinging to Cyrus' arm. "Hm, how curious." The party explains that they've accepted his wife's request. "Mirina sent you here? I told her everything."

Valerie says, "We understand that you need an acorn shell as tough as iron, but…"

"That Mirina tricked you into this; I see. Very well. As you understand by now, this request is more for my wife than it is for me." He clears his throat. "My family has a pet mouse at home; his name is Bredge." Cyrus and Fiona raise an eyebrow to this. "An odd name, I know. I wanted to name him 'Biggs', but my wife wanted to name him 'Wedge', so we met half-way…but that's neither nor there."

Resting his hand in his pocket, Cyrus says, "I would have named him 'Biggs' as well, personally." When Fiona comments that she would have agreed with Egar's wife, the two of them take to staring at each other.

Egar chuckles at this. "It's almost as if the two of you were a couple from the start. Anyway, the point is that Bredge's teeth have grown quite long lately. He needs something tough to nibble on, but he won't put anything inedible in his mouth."

Hayato crosses his arms as he posits that, "His teeth are probably so sharp that they'll slice through most other foods."

"That is correct, Lord Hayato; the teeth won't stop growing, either. If left unchecked, he'll have trouble eating; we are in need of an acorn that is as tough as iron…my wife came up with that idea…that is all. Thus, you have your mission." Cyrus presents the requested item and hands it to Egar. "Ah, thank you. With the huge boom in people applying to become explorers, I've been swamped with work."

Fae giggles, releasing her grip on Cyrus so that she may wave at the Guildmaster. "We're happy to help, sir!" She then returns to her clinging, resting a cheek on Cyrus' bicep. The party departs from the Explorers Guild to make their report to Mirina; Fae asks, "How come you tricked us, Ms. Matron?"

"I was so insistent because I wanted you to crack open the Guildmaster's shell. Beneath all that armor and seriousness, he cares deeply for his family." She grins as she follows, "I figured it couldn't hurt to get to know some of our people better, no?" The others stare at her in silence, their expressions sporting wry smiles. "Then again, maybe I simply have a bad habit of meddling in other people's affairs." She chuckles. "Listening in on every conversation in my tavern will do that." She shrugs, her grin turning into a smirk. "Oh well, I'm sure Egar will forgive me if I send his wife a box of chocolates; that woman sure loves her sweets…"

Valerie lets out a "Hoo~" in response to this. "And I thought I was bad; you can be a right savage sometimes."

"Oh, but don't tell Egar I said any of that, OK? I don't want another one of his lectures."

She then hands the party its reward, which is a sickle. Noting its design, Valerie says, "Oh, I've seen this one before; it makes a bizarre sound when you swing it, which can disorient some enemies."

Looking to Valerie, Fae says, "Too bad we both have Panic Skills already…"

"Still, we might find a use for it down the line. We appreciate it, Mirina." With their business concluded, the party departs from the Twilight Tavern to finally sell their materials to Syrik. A visit to Jenetta's Inn will follow shortly after.


	45. We're Here Now

**Chapter 45: We're Here Now**

Stepping into Jenetta's Inn, the party finds Gwenivere standing in the lobby, presumably waiting for their arrival. A soft smile is worn on her face as she looks to her comrades; she makes no effort to approach, to which Fae responds by running over to jump into her arms. Gwenivere holds the child close, squeezing her in a loving embrace as her joyous expression becomes more apparent. "I missed you, too, little one; were you alright in the Labyrinth?"

"Uh huh; we finished mapping the floor and I got to learn about the Prince."

"Wonderful news; I take it your reconnaissance yielded pleasant news?" Fae nods to this, her beaming expression radiating with joy. "May I ask why you were clung to Cyrus' arm when you arrived?" Fae's eyes widen at this, prompting her to struggle free of Gwenivere's embrace so that she may resume the aforementioned clinging. Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Darling, what happened?"

"Uncle is going back out to do a request; I'm going, too!" She then looks up to Cyrus, glaring as she follows, "No buts!"

Cyrus chuckles, looking to Gwenivere with a smile on his face as he jokingly asks, "Do you see what I have to put up with?"

Gwenivere crosses her arms at this. "Curious. I thought you'd be used to women clinging to you at this point."

"Oh? And pray tell, my dearest, what woman has ever clung to me so desperately?"

She raises her finger as she motions to give a retort, but quickly relents when no one comes to mind. A solid minute is spent in silence as Gwenivere tries to think of someone who meets this criterion. "Hm…I cannot think of anyone." Her eyes widen. "Ah, a moment – I just remembered. Do you recall the time I fell ill when I was 14?"

"Indeed. You consumed a meal comprised of poorly prepared seafood and paid dearly for it. You were bed-ridden for a week, barely capable of even walking on your own."

"Yes, that was a dark period in my life. I relied on you for basically everything; I had never been so useless and mortified."

"I wouldn't compare that to what Fae's doing, though; you didn't have much choice in the matter." He scoffs, a smirk forming on his lips. "As if I'd let my liege suffer through that without standing at her side; you know me better than that."

"Yes, that is certainly true. Perhaps my claim isn't entirely accurate. However…" She points at Fae underhandedly as she asks, "Are you in any state to return to Yggdrasil? I am willing to bet that none of you slept last night." Cyrus and Fae's silence on the matter is quite telling, as is Fiona's effort to avoid making eye contact when Gwenivere looks to her for an answer. "I figured as much. I will allow you to go on this quest, but you are resting for the day once it is complete – this is non-negotiable. Am I clear?"

"As crystal, my liege."

"Y- Yes, Aunt Gwen." After dropping off the rewards received from Mirina's quests, the party returns to the 21st floor. Fae has ceased her clinging, and now walks beside Hayato in her usual spot within the party's formation. She looks up to see that Cyrus wears a contemplative expression as he leads the party to the anthill located at the bottom edge of B5. "Uncle, what's the matter?"

He snaps to attention upon hearing her voice, glancing back as a soft smile forms on his lips. "Oh, it's nothing, little one; I was just thinking about an item that hasn't become available yet."

"Is it a type of medicine?"

"Not this time, no. Amrita II most definitely won't be available until the 6th Stratum; that much I've already accepted. No, what I'm concerned about is the Beast Bell's counterpart – we haven't found the material needed to make Ward Chimes."

Fiona looks to him, a look of surprise and realization forming her countenance. "I had completely forgotten about those." She looks back to the path ahead, adopting a contemplative stance as she follows, "I've gotten so used to Lady Gwenivere using Invisibility…thinking on it now, it feels weird, not being in a party with her at my back."

Valerie says, "All things considered, the encounter rate for this floor was pretty low; it didn't change, regardless of the time of day." She can see the anthill in the distance, prompting her to point to it. "Looks like we're here." She looks around, still not seeing any Panda Ants nearby. "I don't sense the presence of anything, either." She shrugs to this, pulling out both special loaves of bread as she looks to Cyrus. "Which are we testing first, Chief?"

"We'll use the sweet bread first." She nods to him before placing the bread down near the anthill's entrance. When she returns to his side, the sweet smell of the loaf dances beneath their nostrils. "That scent has put me in the mood for your specialty, Valerie."

"That makes two of us, Chief; I might need to ask to borrow Jenetta's kitchen when we're done here." She grabs hold of his hand before directing both him and the rest of her allies to a nearby bush. She remains crouched in silence, though she has yet to release her grip of Cyrus' hand. "Now we wait." A single Panda Ant crawls out of the hill's entrance, undoubtedly drawn by the scent of the bread. The creature takes a moment to use its antennae to smell the loaf of bread, soon deciding to commit to its approach. The creature begins to eat the bread without hesitation, to which Valerie's face lights up in surprise. Looking to Cyrus, she can see that he is using magic to write down his observations, eliminating the need to look away from the research subject. ' _Never change, Chief._ '

The Panda Ant devours the entire loaf on its own, leaving not even a crumb behind. It takes a few looks around the area, likely in search of whatever might have left the bread here. It does not find the Seekers, and soon retreats into its home. The party rises from its hiding spot and motions to visit the other anthill located at the bottom edge of C7. Cyrus places the extra spicy loaf of bread down at the entrance, recoiling as the scent of this particular loaf accosts his senses. He falls back to the chosen hiding spot of his allies, making no effort to hide his discomfort. ' _How awful._ ' He readies his pen and notebook once more as a Panda Ant emerges from the anthill.

Unlike the previous creature, this ant is far more cautious. After smelling the loaf with its antennae, it paces around the unfamiliar object a few times. The bright-red color of this loaf, as well as its overwhelmingly aggressive scent, piques its interest, but not enough for the creature to take the risk with actually biting into the suspicious object. The Seekers maintain their observation for awhile longer, but the Panda Ant is showing no signs of growing incentive. Fiona glances at Cyrus as she whispers, "I don't think ants recognize spiciness as a flavor."

"Technically, neither do humans. Our bodies recognize pungency as pain; it is only through the interaction of proper flavors that we can develop an appreciation to the concept. Let us observe this ant for a bit longer."

Pointing at Cyrus, Fiona looks to Valerie as she asks, "Is he a scientist?"

"Technically, yes, though he researches ice magic – he's not an entomologist or a gastronomist."

The party's patience is eventually rewarded when the Panda Ant decides to take a bite of the bread. It continues to eat after the first bite, seemingly unfettered by the taste of spicy food. Just before Cyrus can write this observation down, the Panda Ant suddenly ceases its consumption. ' _Did it already have a meal beforehand?_ ' His assumption is false, for the Panda Ant awkwardly backs away from the bread before it starts writhing in agony on the ground. The eyes of the party members go wide as the creature violently trashes about, and though Cyrus looks uncomfortable watching the sight, he continues to take notes all the same. The Panda Ant does not die as a result of this, and instead scurries back into its anthill, leaving the partially eaten loaf where it stands. ' _By the gods…_ '

The Seekers don't emerge from their hiding spot, wary of the possibility of the Panda Ant returning with reinforcements to dispose of the dangerous bread. Getting a closer look at the loaf, Hayato and his companions can see that the dough is abnormal, and the very outer crust is dyed a shade of scarlet reminiscent of blood. "You couldn't pay me enough to eat that." Another glance, at least on Hayato's front, reveals that a trio of spirits is studying the loaf of bread. Though his comrades cannot see them, Hayato feels the need to speak with them. "Excuse me, gentle spirits – that loaf strikes me as being dangerous. Be wary."

All three of the spirits in question are yellow in color, suggesting they are tied to the element of Volt. Upon coming into mere contact with the loaf of bread, each of them begins to violently convulse as they fly, putting a mortified expression on Hayato's face. Before long, the volt spirits have completed a forced transformation, and are now fire spirits. Curious still, Cyrus can now see them. "When did those spirits get here?"

"You see them, too?" Hayato glances at the spirits again to see that they are convulsing again. "Now what?" The spirits roar to the stars above, their hands turning into elongated claws; ' _By the gods…_ '

Fae pulls at Hayato's sleeve, pointing directly at one of the spirits as it turns to look at the party. Its eyes are white and featureless, but seem to burn with incredible intensity. Liquid flames drip from the creature's mouth, and its back is hunched in a manner most aggressive. "Prince? Is that a spirit?"

"You're not supposed to be able to see these." He looks to Valerie to see that she is readying her scythe. "Valerie?"

"That's some incredible hostility I'm sensing."

Hayato reaches into Cyrus' pocket to pull out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "Yeah, no." The party warps out of Yggdrasil to make haste to the Twilight Tavern, where Vernon's pleased expression shifts to show concern as the party rushes to him. "Vernon, we're back!"

"Yes, and I am pleased to see you unharmed! Pray tell, what has you so frazzled?"

Setting down the notebook containing the party's research notes, Cyrus takes a seat as he says, "It has to do with our observations; you're gonna want to hear this."

He receives the report, taking the time to look over Cyrus' notes and present any additional inquiries he might have. When the party shares the portion of the observation that involves the forcibly mutated spirits, Vernon can only scratch at his head. "That…wasn't within my calculations. I should probably report this to the Explorers Guild. I thank you for your assistance, Seekers; it means the world to me – you'll find your reward with Mirina. Please excuse me."

Vernon then departs, prompting Mirina to step over. When the Seekers make their report, she says, "So the bread was so spicy that it turned volt spirits into fire spirits? That's…a little concerning. I'm glad none of you tried to eat it, and that is to say nothing of the spirits you avoided conflict with." She places a box set containing five bottles of Soma Prime onto the table, which Fae and Cyrus smile at. "This is your reward; thanks for your hard work." She grins as she follows, "Gwenivere stopped by earlier, asking me to relay a message." She clears her throat, pushing her glasses down so that she may direct a piercing glare at Cyrus. "Come straight home – that's an order."

Cyrus smirks at this. "A nice impression, Matron – your piercing glare is on point, I must say."

"Now, now, Cyrus; you can't be falling for me."

Valerie grabs hold of Cyrus' hand, leading him towards the tavern's exit as she says, "He was just leaving, Matron; don't worry about it." She then locks her arm in his, resting her head on his shoulder. "You can't keep adding to your harem, Chief; you won't have time for your adorable apprentice anymore."

"Valerie, my naïve little flower; when will you understand that I'll always make time for you?" He rests his head on hers, chuckling as he follows, "I promised to never abandon you, did I not?"

"Yeah…and you never break a promise; I know."

"Good, then please put such nonsense out of your mind." He glances back to Mirina as he says, "We'll take our leave now, Matron; pleasure doing business with you, as always." When the party returns to Jenetta's Inn, the innkeeper is there to greet them. "It is good to see you again as well, Jenetta. Pray tell; are you in need of any assistance today?"

"I could use some help preparing lunches again; why do you ask?"

"After reading Fae a bedtime story, I was planning on taking care of things around the house since we're not heading back to the Labyrinth today."

She tilts her head at this, placing a finger on her chin as an inquisitive expression takes over her countenance. "Eh? Aren't you going back to Yggdrasil when the sun sets?"

"Not today; the Seekers shall have the day off, though we'll probably do some gathering runs." He holds his chin in his hand, taking a moment to think as his gaze shifts to the side. "I was thinking about getting the Amalgolem's Conditional Drop as well – I wish to gauge its price as well as what weapon it will become."

Looking to him, Valerie says, "Syrik told me that the Draco Lightwing will turn into a mana-charged coffin; it has a Skill on it, as well, so that will undoubtedly be powerful for Master Annora."

"Since you'll be our front-runner against the 5th Stratum Boss, I'm hoping the Amalgolem's Conditional Drop turns into a scythe."

"Chief, that scythe is gonna run us over 400 thousand."

"Your point? I'll farm the ental myself if it means making sure you're properly outfitted." Valerie gestures towards him with an incredulous expression on her face, only to relent and simply sigh. Cyrus grins in response, only causing his apprentice to puff out her cheeks. "Glad we've reached an understanding." He then picks up Fae to let her sit on his shoulders. "Come along, little one; you've got a bedtime story to hear."

"Onward! To Dreamland!" As they make way for the stairs, a slew of Jenetta's housecats follows after them, no doubt intending to nap alongside one of their favorite patrons.

The hours pass whilst Cyrus, Valerie, and Clarisse assist Jenetta with her duties as innkeeper. By the time tonight's dinner and tomorrow's lunch are prepared, the four are lounging on a sofa together. Mr. Friedrich sits in Jenetta's lap, comfortably relaxing alongside his mistress. Valerie rests her head on Clarisse's shoulder, a grin on her face as she says, "Good work out there, Reese; you didn't blow anything up today."

She rests her head on Valerie's head in turn, a soft smile forming as she replies, "Bite me, Princess." The four enjoy their moment of calm in silence, nearly falling asleep before Lissa approaches them. "Hey, Lissa; what's up?" Upon getting a good look at her comrade, she can see that her eyes are plagued with sadness, and that her disposition makes her appear to be more reserved and hesitant than Clarisse is used to seeing. "You ain't lookin' so good." She looks over to Cyrus, ready to tell him to take care of the matter, but says nothing when she sees that he is already rising from his seat.

"Elizabeth, what's troubling you?" She stares at him for a moment before breaking eye contact. "Elizabeth?"

"There's…something I need to talk to you about." She looks to Jenetta as she asks, "Is there a private room available?" When Jenetta's cheeks turn red at the request, Lissa quickly waves a dismissive hand at her. "That's not what I need the room for; I just…" She looks to Cyrus again, her expression now pleading. "I need you to make time for this; it's important."

"We can talk now if you want." He looks to Jenetta, who rises from her seat and sets Mr. Friedrich onto the floor. The cat takes a moment to stretch his body before walking off to attend to some unknown business. She beckons for the duo to follow her, which they heed. Upon receiving the key to this room from the innkeeper, Cyrus says, "Thanks, Jenetta."

"Yep, don't mention it~" She looks to Lissa, her expression concerned as she asks, "Are you going to be OK?"

"Y- Yeah. I just need to tell him a few things; I should feel much better afterwards." The innkeeper chooses not to pry any further, instead bowing before returning downstairs. Stepping inside the room she and Cyrus have requested, the two are greeted to the sight of a lavishly decorated interior. A large bed sits near a raised window; it is adorned with cyan sheets and a thick red quilt sporting golden tassels at its ends, and it even features a curtain that can be drawn for additional privacy. "Well then." At the room's center is a table for two, with an expensive-looking tea set resting upon it. Various candles are lined up on a shelf, though it is of note that none of them appear to have been used.

Cyrus approaches this shelf to look upon the candle options, soon picking up one that is white in color. Showing this to Lissa, he says, "Mahogany Teakwood; a personal favorite of mine."

"Yeah, I can understand why; that stuff was a great accent for our first night together." She takes a moment to think on this before asking, "I guess that means you used that for your other lovers, too?"

He shakes his head to this, causing Lissa's face to brighten with surprise. "No, only you. I was actually really worried that I might screw something up between us; I wanted everything to go right that night."

"Be mindful of what you say next, dear; I might start thinking that I'm your favorite."

"And here I am just trying to avoid neglecting you." He takes a seat on the bed, patting the space next to him as a silent means of asking Lissa to join him. When she takes a seat beside him, he grabs hold of her left hand and looks to her. "I take it this is about a conversation you had with Clarisse?" She nods to this, but looks to the floor and falls silent instead of elaborating. "We have plenty of time today, Lissa, so don't feel inclined to rush."

"Growing up, my mother would often tell me that relationships were never going to be perfect – that I'd always end up having to deal with some aspect of my beloved that would drive me mad." A chuckle escapes her as she scratches her cheek. "Before I met you, I always took that as a flimsy excuse to justify all the times she and my father would argue over petty and nonsensical bullshit." She looks to him with a soft smile on her face. "She was right on all accounts, though. I realized that when you came back for the journey in Armoroad."

He chuckles at this, ruffling Lissa's hair as he says, "Yeah, we bickered on a fair number of trivial matters back then."

"She wasn't just talking about the trivial stuff, though." It is now that her countenance loses all semblance of cheer. "The first time we parted, things weren't so bad. I kept myself distracted with my work involving the Survivalists' Association. After Raven's branch of the Guild helped build up Lagaard, I got more free time…and spent it thinking of you…thinking about how much I missed you." She rests her head on his shoulder, prompting him to place his hand on her farthest shoulder and bring her a bit closer. "It was just loneliness at first, and I didn't see it as a big deal since everyone gets that way."

"What changed?"

"You lost your left arm. I realized then that you're not invincible; I started having nightmares after that – nightmares where you'd always end up dead." She grabs hold of his hand, lightly squeezing it as she follows, "That's why I shared a room with you so often, why I tried to slot into most party setups where you were involved. I-" Her voice hitches in her throat; in turn, a single tear streams from her eye. "If I wasn't by your side, I was afraid I'd lose you. It got worse when we cleared Armoroad's Yggdrasil, much worse." She pulls away from him so that she may look into his eyes. He wipes the tears from her face before looking to her expectantly. "That offer I made; it wasn't just for your benefit. If you stayed here, I could keep an eye on you and take Erdboden out of the equation." She falls silent for a moment before continuing, "I fell into depression after you left the second time. I was…convinced the war was going to take you away from me."

"Lissa…I don't know what to say. I never intended for any of that t-"

She places a finger to his lips, shaking her head. "You're not the one who needs to apologize; I know you'd never do that to me on purpose." She lifts her finger and takes a moment to gaze upon him. His sad expression currently matches her own, giving her reason to gently place a hand on his cheek. "After a year, I came here to Iorys to train as a Dragoon. I told everyone that it was a move to get my temper under control, but that was only part of it. Becoming a knight granted me a new sense of perspective; as much as I trusted in your strength, I let my fear get the better of me. Clarisse and the fruits of my training helped me move past that." Though the sadness in her gaze is retained, she musters a soft smile. "I know you're still uncomfortable with taking me to Erdboden, but I have to ask – Have you perfected your ability to warp to this world yet?"

"I believe so. I was hoping you'd take me to High Lagaard so that I could warp there freely to visit you. Actually…" She tilts her head at him, not sure where he might be going with this. "I was talking with Fiona about this. After I meet your parents, would you be willing to come to Erdboden with me?"

"Are you certain? Are you not still fearful?"

"I am, more than you realize, but if I'm going to put you at ease, I need to change."

"Cyrus, you don't need to change for me."

"Yes, yes I do." His gaze trades its despondent visage for something sterner in comparison. "You fell into depression because of my weakness, and I won't stand for that. You deserve better than that, Elizabeth…" His voice trails off as his despondent expression returns; there is a trace of uncertainty in his eyes again, though he ignores this notion as he maintains eye contact. "I promise to be better than I was. I'll make amends for the six years I put you through."

For a moment, Lissa considers the act of asserting her stance that Cyrus isn't in the wrong, but seeing his gaze – the resolve behind his once uncertain eyes – causes her to relent. She places a fleeting kiss upon his lips before rising from the bed. Extending a hand to him, she puts forth another soft smile as she says, "Then I suppose you have your work ahead of you." When he takes her hand, she leads him to the door of this room so that they may take their leave. Upon reaching the staircase, their progress is halted by Valerie, who is surprised to see them. "Hey, Princess."

"Hey yourself. You two alright?" Lissa nods to this, stating that the two have reached an accord. "That's good to hear; if everything's alright, I won't pry." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "You sure you're alright, Chief?" He nods, to which she rests a hand on her hip and shoots him a stern look. "Are you being honest? You know I'll get mad if you try and lie to me, Chief."

"You worry about him about as much as I do, Princess."

"The Chief's been real good to me over the years; I gotta pay it forward." She directs her attention back to the man in question, her once stern countenance having eased into something softer. "He's my best friend…came into my life when I was at my lowest point, and has been looking after me ever since." She smiles, her expression nostalgic as she follows, "People like that don't just show up; you have to take care of them when they do."

Lissa glances at Cyrus for a brief moment before looking at Valerie again. "I know you denied it once before, but are you sure there's nothing going on between you two?"

Valerie shakes her head. "I love the Chief, really and truly, but I'm not ready for a relationship yet. I want things to stay as they are, at least for now."

Crossing her arms, Lissa tilts her head as she asks, "You don't think you'd be happy with him?"

"I'm sure we'd be beautiful together…for a time." She gazes at the floor as she says, "Before I managed to ruin things for him."

Cyrus heaves a sigh at this. "Valerie, we've been over this. You're not like your mother; you're not guaranteed to make the same choices she did."

"But I'm not guaranteed to avoid her mistakes, either." She shakes her head as her countenance becomes plagued with clear signs of distress. "I refuse to hurt you the way she hurt my dad." Tears begin to well up in her eyes, prompting Cyrus to step over and wipe them away. "I love you too much, Chief; I could never live with myself if I put you through that."

He pulls her into an embrace, resting the side of his head against hers as she wraps her arms around his back. "I know all that, Valerie; that's why I'm fine with things as they are. I can wait until you're ready." She pulls away from him to wipe her eyes, offering her thanks as she does. "Think nothing of it; you know how I hate to see you unhappy." He looks to both her and Lissa as a chuckle escapes him. "I really don't deserve all of you."

Valerie says, "I was thinking about going to get the Amalgolem's Conditional Drop before the night is over; would you mind tagging along?"

He yawns, holding a hand to his mouth to stifle it. "Sure. Are we heading out now?" As he asks this, he can feel an oppressive aura approaching from behind him. Glancing back, he can see that Gwenivere is somehow standing directly behind him, arms crossed and a displeased countenance upon her face. "Good evening, my liege; whatever is the matter?"

"You assumed you would be able to sneak off into the night without my knowing? Cyrus, my darling servant, you seem to take your mistress for a fool."

Raising a finger to this, Valerie says, "Actually, I was gonna ask you to tag along, too, Lady Gwenivere. I know the Chief and I are supposed to be resting, but I wanted to get this done tonight so that we wouldn't need to worry about it tomorrow morning."

"What made you assume that I would consent to this?"

"Pretty please? I'll make your favorite sushi rolls when we get back."

"You think you can entice me with food?" She lets out a loud laugh at the notion. "Valerie, your cooking is worthy of me, to be true, but nothing w-"

"I'll throw in my specialty as a bonus?"

On this note, Gwenivere grabs hold of Cyrus' hand, pulling him towards their resting quarters as she says, "Cyrus, darling; it's time for you to grab your katana and Masurao gear – we have an Amalgolem to fight."

As he is dragged away, he can only look to Lissa and Valerie as he asks, "How come I don't wield that kind of power?" This question goes unanswered as the two addressees leave him to the whims of fate. He soon returns to the lair of the Amalgolem with Valerie, Gwenivere, Lissa, and Clarisse comprising the rest of the party. Taking note that Valerie's Miasma Armor triggers on its own, he dedicates a moment to conjuring his replacement left arm. Lissa, in turn, preemptively deploys a bunker and uses Dragon Roar out of reflex. "Let's get to it."

Knowing that the Amalgolem's opening attack will be to self-destruct, Lissa stabs her shield into the ground to summon a translucent pink barrier to protect her comrades. Valerie, with her armor already in place, adopts a defensive stance, for there is no need for her to take action at present. Clarisse fires a debilitative arrow at the main body, given that it is the primary focus of the party's aggression. Gwenivere casts the effects of Amplifier on the front row, though this is mostly for her own benefit; in turn, Cyrus helps her obtain the high ground by giving her a boost to reach the top of a nearby archway. The flames that engulf the party are weakened substantially by Lissa's use of Mana Guard, allowing the Seekers to maintain their formation while the Amalgolem splits apart.

The mini golems make haste to rejoin the main body, which Valerie sees as her opportunity to coat the battlefield in a Black Mist and pull a paralytic bomb from within the hem of her skirt. ' _Paralyzing Reap would be better, but I'm pretty sure that'll outright slaughter the mini golems._ ' She tosses the bomb into the enemy formation, successfully paralyzing everything except the main body. Despite all of the mini golems being unable to move, one still manages to fuse with the main body of the Amalgolem, transferring the effects of Paralysis in turn. She shrugs at this. "Eh, that works. Lady Gwenivere, it's all you!"

A white flash briefly flashes from Gwenivere's form, signaling the use of a Union Skill. Everyone's weapons are enchanted as a result of her actions, but only Cyrus motions to take action. He enters a drawing stance, waiting for Gwenivere to make the first strike. She charges in and delivers a swing of her tri-elemental hammer, exerting enough force to make the Amalgolem's main body split apart. When the mini golem serving as the core bounces off the grass, an audible click sounds from Cyrus' location as he draws his blade. Visible red ripples slice the air surrounding the remaining mini golems, tearing them asunder and ending the battle.

Left in the battle's wake are two items. The former of the two is the familiar Stoneguard Shard; the latter is a piece of the Amalgolem that sports a striped pattern. Picking this up, Lissa looks it over, soon nodding to herself as she says, "This is what we came here for. Let's turn this over to Syrik and call it a night." The sound of clapping sounds from Gwenivere's direction, prompting Lissa to turn and see the joyous expression on her comrade's face. "Aren't we in a good mood?"

"Most certainly, my dear Elizabeth; as per our agreement, Valerie is going to cook up a delectable spread tonight. I quiver with anticipation."

Looking to Cyrus, Lissa lets out a chuckle as she says, "Seriously dear, this woman is intense."

"I know, ain't she great?"

"Actually…" Lissa then turns to Gwenivere as she asks, "How come you never refer to me as 'Lissa'?"

"Hm?" Gwenivere adopts an inquisitive expression at this. "I happen to be fond of your given name, my dear. It's beautiful and elegant – two traits perfectly befitting a woman who's earned my affections. Does my use of it displease you?"

"I- uh, well…no, not at all; I'm just used to the people close to me using 'Lissa', is all. I didn't think anyone would like my given name that much. Thanks…"

"My, my, are you blushing?"

"Of course I am." She pushes her fingers together, barely maintaining eye contact. "Aren't you embarrassed; even just a little?"

"I consider my love for you to be a source of pride; were it not in poor form and quite rude to the populace, I'd proclaim that love from the highest rooftops whenever the whim so struck me." She steps over to Lissa, gently grabbing hold of her chin to facilitate the act of staring lovingly into her eyes. After a moment of silence, she moves in for a deep kiss, causing Lissa's face to turn red in its entirety. Pulling away, Gwenivere gives a content sigh and licks her own lips before a smile fixates on her countenance. "Our love is true, my dear, and I shan't allow anyone to dishonor it." She chuckles maliciously after saying this, her gaze sporting an oppressive visage as she follows, "Those who disagree with what we share can simply 'get bent'…as they say." Cyrus and Clarisse snicker at this. "Did I use the phrase incorrectly?"

Clarisse waves a dismissive hand at the notion. "Nah, you're good; it's just funny hearing you say it." She takes a moment to stretch, letting out a loud groan before letting her arms rest at her sides again. Reaching into Cyrus' pocket, she pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "We should get going now."


	46. Evading the Plague

**Chapter 46: Evading the Plague**

The revised Chain Squad returns to the Untamed Garden the following morning. Upon emerging from the light lift that leads to the 22nd floor, the party looks about the immediate area. Said area is a spacious clearing with one path leading beyond its interior; the exit-ends of two shortcuts are present as well, which Cyrus marks for later. As the exploration begins, Valerie looks to her mentor and asks, "Hey, Chief? When you get those Ray of Light stacks going – how does it feel? It's Light Magic, right?"

"It's not, actually." Looking towards Fiona, he says, "It's a lot like a state of ascension, similar to how Fiona becomes much harder to keep track of when she keeps landing consecutive attacks in a short period of time. For her, that's Sylphscreen."

"So for you, it's the same thing but with evasion?" He nods. "I see. Fiona gets an increase to defense and evasion while you get defense and…what else, exactly?"

"The blue glow draws the enemy's attention more effectively, so you could say I get improved enmity generation."

Hayato says, "One weird thing I've noticed is that Cyrus' blue glow is retained so long as he avoids taking damage, but for Fiona, her green aura disappears shortly after her volley of attacks cease."

"The trade-off is that Sylphscreen doesn't have an arbitrary cap to it. If I was a Celestrian and used Tri-Magic to hit seven or so enemies, without killing them, they would have an incredibly difficult time damaging me. Assuming they could even land a hit after that, my defense would be so high as to invalidate their efforts; my stack count would be 21 before they could even make a move." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "Cyrus here is capped at nine stacks with Ray of Light."

Fae tilts her head at this stream of information. "Strategy sounds really complicated…"

Fiona crouches down to pat the child on the head. "Fret not, Fae; the rest of us just leave this sort of thing for Cyrus to deal with. He'll work it out so we don't have to."

Looking to Cyrus, Fae asks, "But isn't it tough to figure out on your own?"

"It can be, yes, but that's a big part of what makes the effort fun for me." He reaches over to Valerie's farthest shoulder and pulls her closer, pressing his cheek against hers as a smile forms on his face. "Valerie's there to help whenever I get stuck, so you needn't worry about it."

Fae nods to this, smiling as she directs her attention to Valerie. She brings her fists to her chest as she says, "I- I'm counting on you to look after Uncle, Princess."

Valerie nods in reply, smiling in turn as she says, "You can count on me, Fae." As she begins to walk down the path alongside her allies, a thought runs through her head. ' _She's too precious; we have to protect her._ ' The Seekers pass by a door as they traverse the narrow pathways of this artificial jungle, soon happening upon a dead end where Forest Wheat grows. As she watches Cyrus fill in the map of this floor, a thought occurs to Valerie. "Hey, Chief – did we ever find that second Take Point on the 21st floor?"

He shakes his head to this, looking to her as he says, "Turns out…there was no second Take Point. When I went back for that dead end, the only thing there was more Forest Wheat."

"That doesn't usually happen, right?" He shakes his head again. "Weird." Pointing at the now revealed FOEs located due south, she asks, "Do you figure these are the same birds from last night?"

"They shouldn't be. FOEs usually don't repeat in a Stratum until the last couple of floors, which is when patrol routes begin to mix." He looks behind him to find that a trio of enemies is approaching. Furling up the map, he takes to the fore and sets his sights on the only new enemy present. Leading two Steel Acorns is a Jumping Caracal sporting crimson fur. ' _The Jumping Caracal was weak to Volt, but this one…_ ' A quick scan with his Runic Eye reveals that, "The Caracal is weak to Ice!" Upon realizing the information Cyrus has obtained, the Caracal leaps at him, hind legs prepped for striking his ribs with a savage blow. Cyrus steps to the side, avoiding this attack. As recompense, he delivers two swift thrusts to act as a deterrent for the creature. "Don't do it again."

Both of the Steel Acorns attack Cyrus in turn, seeking to succeed where their comrade failed. They both fail in turn, with Cyrus' reflexes overtaking his intentions as he stabs one of the acorns twice, which grants it enough agency to prep Petra Bomber. Seeing this, and knowing that Fiona will take out the Crimson Caracal, Valerie charges in and takes a swing at the other Steel Acorn, which is enough to put it on alert as well. The battle ends without consequence. As suspected by both Cyrus and Fiona, the current path eventually does conclude at a dead end, leaving the door that was once ignored as the only means of progressing forward.

During the group's effort to backtrack to the door, Fiona can see that Cyrus is filling more details on the map, despite presumably having drawn everything. She draws a bit closer, looming over his shoulder to find that he's currently using paint to preemptively mark the patrol route of the upcoming FOEs. She chuckles at this, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You never change."

"Foresight is a handy skill, I must say." Stepping through the door, he and his allies are surprised to find that the FOEs are not immediately visible. "Hm, maybe they're in a different room." There are two paths to take in here – one leads to a door while the other presumably leads to a dead end. Wishing to mark the dead end first, Cyrus leads his team down the eastern passageway that leads south. En route, it quickly becomes apparent that the path stretches beyond, and that it connects to the den of the two FOEs. The attention of one of these creatures is garnered as the Seekers step into view. The sight of the creature before them causes everyone's eyes to widen. "By the gods…"

Standing before them is what everyone can only assume is a failed science experiment. The creature's body is primarily green in color; the lower portion of its frame is that of a horse, though it is of note that this beast does not use its front hooves for support, primarily because it doesn't have any. For a brief moment, the Seekers assume the creature doesn't have any upper limbs to speak of, only to be proven wrong as a pair of spindly arms emerges from the creature's white mane. It gestures with its red hands for a few seconds before pointing at the Seekers. Everyone takes a step back as it lets out a guttural growl. For Cyrus, this reaches his ears as a statement. "Today. You."

In response, Cyrus picks up Fae, with Valerie picking up Hayato, before sprinting away at full speed. "Uncle?! What did it say?!"

"Nothing your sweet little ears need to be subjected to!" When the party escapes through the door leading westward, the Brounis of the group are set back onto the ground; there is no chance to breathe, for a pair of enemies approaches. An Ice Squirrel sits on the back line while a horse made of stone occupies the front. "What is…forget it. Focus on the squirrel first!" Fae tosses a Panic Bomb preemptively, but the effects of the smoke do not addle the steed. Whilst prepping Phantom Swords, Cyrus glances to Fae as he says, "Try the Dark Bomb next." The Dark Bomb fails in turn. "Ah well. Here's hoping Haste Prayer covers the difference." The horse attempts to deliver a mule kick, missing Cyrus entirely but managing to strike Hayato.

Picking himself up, Hayato wipes the blood from his mouth. "Didn't expect that." He looks to the squirrel, which succumbs to the effects of Toxic Reap after missing its attempt at striking Valerie. Fiona and Cyrus deal with the Stone Steed shortly afterwards, learning that the creature is weak to Ice. Fae takes the opportunity to mend Hayato's wounds, finishing her work just as the creature falls. Opening up the Monstrous Codex, Hayato realizes that, "This creature has a Conditional Drop; I assume it's Leg Bind, so we'll need to bring Amy or Clarisse up here at some point."

With the battle concluded, the party is free to map out the current area, which is a lengthy hall that branches off into an area housing ore deposits. The entry-way to one of the shortcuts is accessed from here as well. Proceeding through the door that lies at the end of the hall, the party is immediately placed on alert as another one of those green FOEs unleashes a roar in the distance. Fiona growls in turn, barely keeping her sword hand from drawing her rapier. "How can these things be this aggressive when we're not even visible?" She looks down the path, noticing that it immediately branches to the west. "Another door?" They immediately proceed through this door, knowing that bypassing the FOE is impossible without a direct engagement.

Beyond this door lies two paths – one to the north, the other to the south. The party takes the northern path first, which leads to a dead end. Heading south leads to a branching point. The Seekers elect to travel eastward first, anticipating another dead end. Their assumptions are correct, though Cyrus does take a moment to point out that this small region, when drawn on the map, presents a perfectly symmetrical image. The party's travels take them to a dead end located at the top edge of E1, where they find a large bird trotting along the ground. Tilting her head at the sight, Valerie asks, "Is that some sort of turkey?" She quickly corrects herself, pointing out that, "No, the shape of the feathers doesn't line up."

Pointing at it, Fae says, "That might be a dodo." Taking this into account, the party decides against hunting the creature, for their provisions are still well-stocked. Around 1PM, they return to the southwestern edge of the floor, where they are presented with a choice. At the bottom-most edge, the path loops around from A7 to F7, presenting a way forward. There is, however, a path that extends to the east from E1. As she dines on a cut of roasted meat, Fae looks to Cyrus, who is sipping from some sort of silver canister. After swallowing her food, she points to this canister and asks, "Uncle? What's that? I've never seen you drink from that before."

"Oh, this? This is a vacuum flask; it's a storage unit that preserves the temperature of what you pour into it for much longer than the canteens you're used to."

"I don't think we have those in Iorys; did you bring it from home?"

"Indeed. I was searching for one to buy here in Iorys, but perhaps the item hasn't been invented yet." He smiles as he asks, "Would you like one of your own?" Her face lights up at this, to which he chuckles. "Very well; what color would you like?"

She glances at Hayato before saying, "Purple, please."

He pats her on the head as he says, "Consider it done. I'll have to make time to slip away to Erdboden." With their brief respite complete, the Seekers map out the region beyond E1. This region contains the exit-end of a shortcut as well as a door. This door leads to a small clearing that doesn't appear to house anything within. "That's strange. Oh well, let's press on." By the time 3PM rolls around, the party stands before a pit; on the other side of this pit is a treasure chest, which causes Fiona's eyebrow to twitch. "You doin' alright, love?"

"Just peachy, dear." On a whim, the party takes the northern path, which is revealed to simply loop around to grant access to the treasure chest. "Why would it be designed this way? Whatever." She relieves the chest of the Storm Jar contained within. "Let's be on our way." The path of progress leads to another door, though stepping into the expanse that awaits beyond doesn't immediately trigger the aggression of the green FOE that lies within. Looking at the map, Fiona says, "This room might be a part of the same area where we saw that other FOE in E3, but I can't imagine that being the case."

Two doors wait at the bottom edge of this room. The door closest to the party leads into a small enclosure that allows the party to bide their time while the FOE passes by without taking notice of them. The farthest door opens into a clearing, as well as the path of progress. At the end of this region is the entry-point of the F2 shortcut, along with a door. With the shortcut unlocked, the party steps through the next door. After bypassing the FOE by running it around a circuit, the party escapes through the next door that awaits them. The hour has struck 6PM by this point, so Cyrus pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread in favor of letting the party get a proper rest for the hour. The Rockhorse Ear procured from the Stone Steed allows the party to finally create Ward Chimes; they purchase two from Syrik.

Returning here after nightfall, the party is ready to continue its trek. One look at the map suggests that they have quite a ways to travel, which causes Cyrus and Fae to sigh in unison. The Seekers only manage to progress a short distance before attracting the attention of the FOE patrolling the hallway that spans the stretch of land making up E4 and E5. This blunder forces them to backtrack, for avoiding this FOE is no longer possible. In order to push past this FOE, the party is forced to enter its patrol route while its back is turned. The entirety of its patrol route, even beyond the turn that leads to the exit, is a narrow passage. When the Seekers step through this door to their supposed freedom, they are immediately greeted by another FOE, the very first one they encountered.

The creature performs its weird hand gestures once more, pointing at the party as it says, "Tonight. You."

The Brounis are picked up by their comrades once again, though this time there is no option to retreat the way they came, for that FOE will just pursue them instead while offering no time for the Seekers to wait out their current assailant. The party doesn't make it very far before a trio of enemies appears to bar the path. Fae looks behind her to see the FOE is rapidly approaching, breathing quite heavily with each step. "This is bad! Really bad!" To her horror, the party fails to escape, forcing them to engage the FOE along with the Panda Ant and the two Crimson Caracals. Jumping down from Cyrus' back, she pulls a bomb from her bag while triggering a Union Skill between herself, Cyrus, and Fiona. As she slams her bomb to the ground, she shouts, "You can't have us!" Her use of Full Retreat sends the party back to the starting staircase; everyone is alive and unharmed, but more than a little displeased about having lost three hours worth of progress.

By the time the party returns to this location, the hour has struck 1AM. With the first FOE, which the Seekers now know as the Plague Demon, no longer accosting them, the party is free to run the second FOE in this area around its own circuit so that they can safely proceed through the southern door at D6. Fiona and Valerie take a minute to rest their backs against a tree, each one holding a hand to her chest in an effort to calm their rapidly beating hearts. Looking back to the door that barely closed behind them in time, Valerie can only exhale in relief. "I hope that was the last one; good gods, that was awful."

While filling out the portions of the map that are certainly dead ends, the Seekers traverse a small path where the underbrush progressively grows thicker. A loud snap sounds beneath someone's feet, and as the Seekers look down, a large hole hidden in the grass begins to stretch open. Hayato grabs Fae and leaps to the side, his reflexes preventing the two of them from falling into the pit. Cyrus, in turn, grabs Fiona and jumps back, leaving Valerie with an escape route as she uses dark magic to warp to Cyrus' side. Hayato exhales a sigh of relief, holding Fae just a bit closer as he looks to the hole in the ground. "That was close; a fall like that would have badly injured us."

"Th- Thanks, Prince."

"Don't mention it."

The party arrives at the entry-point of the shortcut leading back to the floor's entrance as the hour strikes 4AM. Fae is resting on Cyrus' back at this point, opting to save her strength since the Ward Chimes are proving to be effective. The beam of light that will transport the party to the 23rd floor is found soon after, but the party elects to finish up this floor's map before leaving Yggdrasil. Along the way, the party encounters a squirrel-like creature at a dead end. Instead of showing immediate hostility, the creature chirps brightly as it approaches. Valerie smiles at the creature. "Aw, it's pretty cute." As she reaches forward to pet it, the creature runs up her arm and crawls around her form. As she tries to grab the creature, Valerie spins in place, making no visible progress with her efforts. "Frisky little bugger, aren't you?!"

The squirrel eventually jumps off of Valerie, holding something shiny in its mouth before it scurries off into the underbrush. Cyrus steps forward, sighing as he places his hand on Valerie's shoulder. "Valerie, this is the reason Lissa is always on edge with squirrels. That thing just stole our spare Ariadne Thread." He opens the map to find that it is incomplete. There is a path on the northern border of the floor that the party has yet to reach, along with a treasure chest that seems to be impossible to reach. "Now how in the Seven Hells…" He shakes his head at the notion before pulling out the party's remaining thread to warp the group out of Yggdrasil.

Fae is laid down to rest at Jenetta's Inn; Cyrus departs from the inn to turn in the map to Prince Ramus. As the prince looks over Cyrus' work, his eyes widen in surprise. "I believe this is the first map I've ever received from your Guild to sport a trace of incompletion." Pointing to the top section of the 22nd floor, he asks, "How would you reach this northern border?"

"I only see two explanations, sire. Either that area can't be accessed at all, meaning proper charting is impossible, or it can only accessed via the 23rd floor."

"And this area harboring the treasure chest?"

"I am ashamed to admit that I am stumped on that one, Your Highness. We checked our work, even going so far as to revisit the den of those two Plague Demons; we found no means of accessing that area."

"Hm…perhaps one of those green pillars of light you described leads down from the 23rd floor. It strikes me as a bit of a waste to design an area this way, however." Furling the map, he asks, "Have any other Strata featured this sort of design?"

"Now that you mention it…Etria's 5th Stratum had a few lifts that led to secluded areas like this, serving no other purpose as far as Yggdrasil was concerned." He frowns, looking to the furled up parchment held by Prince Ramus as he says, "It leaves me in a state of unease, I must admit."

Ramus chuckles at this. "Indeed, you are a perfectionist from what I can see." A thought occurs to him. "Ah, I just recalled that a famous Therian general visited the city the other day, visiting all the way from the Mountain City. He heard about the Seekers' exploits and became interested in you and your comrades."

"I sure hope he wasn't looking for a battle – Master Hanzo was scary enough."

"Y- You faced Master Hanzo in combat? The Relentless Demon?"

"Indeed, my Lord. It was to facilitate the training of his apprentice – his future son-in-law."

Ramus takes a moment to think on this. "That sounds familiar…are you referring to Thadius?" Cyrus nods, his expression showing surprise. "Thadius has assisted me with research on a few occasions. During his recent visit, I learned that his wedding was pushed back; I had no idea that his bride was the daughter of the Relentless Demon."

"It was certainly a shocker. And what of this general?"

"He caused quite a scene upon being informed that half of your Guild was busy exploring the 21st floor. He claimed that he would start climbing Yggdrasil immediately, only to have his soldiers talk him down." Another chuckle sounds from the prince as he sheepishly scratches at his cheek. "I'm sure you're used to it by now, but this is the sort of drive you and your comrades instill within others."

"It's a change of pace from what I'm used to."

"Oh? How do you mean?"

"For the past three Labyrinths I've traversed, my Guild was steadily working towards an end goal that was beyond the Labyrinth. In Etria, we were readying ourselves for the 6th Stratum we learned about shortly after starting the 5th. A great evil waited at its depths, and we were the only ones capable of handling it." He pauses, looking to the sunlight beaming in from the windows above before returning his attention to the prince. "Then came Armoroad, where we were told of the threat of the Abyssal God shortly after the Second Stratum was cleared."

"The details surrounding that 6th Stratum are still a mystery; not much has been revealed by Armoroad's government. Still, to be informed of such a great threat so early; I doubt there was any time you could spare to simply enjoy the adventure."

"I can't go into great detail of the Senatus' motives, but I can tell you of the things we experienced there. The 6th Stratum wasn't all that dangerous, if I'm honest with you, but it was incredibly annoying to navigate."

"I am aware of the events that occurred in Tharsis; your Guild was the spearhead of progression, and also became wrapped up in the prevention of war and an attempt at genocide."

Cyrus sighs at this, recalling the memory of that past adventure. "The pressure was high back then, Prince Ramus; there was much we stood to lose. Here in Iorys, though, we've been able to focus almost exclusively on progressing at our own pace. We rushed through the Fetid Necropolis, but every other Stratum has been mostly fine. That said…"

"Is something wrong?"

"I can't help but feel that something is going to be sprung up on us at the end of the Untamed Garden. I already know something is waiting for us on the 25th floor, but I can't fathom a guess as to what it might be."

"I have faith that the Seekers will emerge victorious from the encounter; after all, it wouldn't be the first time you all have been forced to charge into an encounter blind, yes?"

"As much as I dislike being reminded of that fact, it is the truth, Prince Ramus."

"Walk forward with your head held high, Cyrus…though I suppose you should be getting to bed." He leans to the side to check the area behind Cyrus, a gesture that sends a shiver down his guest's spine. "For some strange reason, Lady Gwenivere has been waiting at the entrance; she's currently staring daggers at you."

"She gets this way when I don't properly pace myself. It's honestly a miracle I managed to get here and make this report to you without inciting her wrath."

' _Why do I get the feeling he was only able to pull this off by heading straight here instead of the inn?_ '

Regardless of the truth, he dismisses Cyrus, reluctantly leaving him to the whims of fate. For a short portion of their walk, Cyrus and Gwenivere remain silent. Looking to her husband, Gwenivere's countenance takes on a forlorn visage as she asks, "Darling, am I ill-suited for motherhood?" Cyrus stops in place upon hearing the question, his face plagued by abject confusion. He is unable to voice a proper reply, but Gwenivere has a decent enough idea of what he would say were this not the case. "You saw what happened last night; little Fae was terrified at the sight of me."

"That's because you were furious. I'm afraid of you when you get angry, so of course Fae was going to react that way."

"Is that not unacceptable? What mother would instill such terror in her own child? You asked me to be the strict one, but I…went too far again, yes?"

"Gwen, you can't really expect yourself to get something as complicated as parenting right on your first attempt. Our relationship hasn't gone perfectly and yet we're still here, right?" She says nothing in response to this, instead looking to the ground in shame. Cyrus sighs at this, grabbing hold of Gwenivere's hand as a silent request for her to make eye contact again; it takes a moment of hesitation, but she complies. "I'm still here because I love you, and I'll be there for you when you stumble with our first child." He chuckles before placing a kiss on her forehead. "In return, you have to be there for me when I inevitably act too lenient…especially if we have a daughter. Fair is only fair, yes?"

She blushes at the question, pouting as she says, "You can't use my own questions against me, Cyrus; that is very unsportsmanlike of you."

"I'm only being pragmatic, my liege; does it not please you to see me acting upon your example?" She lets go of his hand and walks on ahead, a huff escaping her. "Come now, I was just teasing!" He motions into a jog to catch up to her, looking to find that she won't even open her eyes or look in his general direction. "You're gonna hurt yourself walking like that, love." His response is silence. "May I please go exploring today, beloved and beauteous mistress?"

"I'll think about it."


	47. Gravity Rush

**Chapter 47: Gravity Rush**

Much to Cyrus' surprise, Gwenivere actually allows him to return to Yggdrasil. He stands now as the field leader for the original Lullaby Squad, consisting of himself, Amy, Valerie, Clarisse, and Lissa. He stands as a Masurao, taking a moment to adjust the katana secured to his bicep before the party's investigation of the 23rd floor can begin. He looks to Clarisse as her whistle rings through the immediate area. Balto materializes from the lift behind the party shortly after, stepping over to his comrades before taking a seat in front of Clarisse. Cyrus steps over and takes a knee so that he may rub Balto's fur; Valerie joins him.

Taking a look about the area, Clarisse studies the foliage of the 5th Stratum, also noting a small flock of birds flying westward. Taking another look at the comrades playing around with her Hound, she notices something peculiar about Cyrus. "Uh…Co?" He ceases scratching behind Balto's ear to turn and face her. As he rises to his feet, she asks, "You realize you're not wearing your heavy armor, right?" He nods to this. "And you don't think that's gonna be a problem?"

"I'm an Earthlain, Clarisse; I can get away with only using light armor. That aside, this will be better for me; I move too damn slowly when wearing heavy armor – I can't even put High Ground in effect before everyone's actions have already been taken." Glancing at his katana, he follows, "I believe it's because katana apply some sort of penalty to action speed in Iorys." When Clarisse tilts her head at this, he explains that, "In every other region, katana consistently increase the speed of the wielder, but here in Iorys, they slow you down instead."

Her eyes brighten with realization as she replies, "Ah, I get it, so you're made even slower when you combine that with heavy armor." She crosses her arms, her expression showing concern as she asks, "Is that increase worth the defense loss?"

"Yes. I've recently started focusing on exercises that will improve my action speed, accuracy, and evasion."

She shades her eyes at him. "Co, I've never seen you miss a swing before."

Tilting his head at this, he says, "I distinctly recall missing one swing – it was either during the Fetid Necropolis or Lucent Hollows."

"Why would you even remember something like that?" She looks to Lissa, hoping her comrade can make some sense of this. "No, seriously."

"He's a perfectionist, remember?"

"Yeah, but this is just obsessive." Turning back to Cyrus, she says, "Let me see that combat journal you're always writing in." Cyrus stares at her for a moment, looks to the ground for a brief second, and then runs ahead of the party, presumably to begin charting the floor. "Eh? Hey! Co! Get back here!" She takes off after him, leaving Balto and her other three allies to spend a moment in confusion before following after them. Much to her chagrin, Clarisse never does receive the combat journal from Cyrus, nor has she been able to get him to speak further on the matter. A short trek beyond the door leading out of the initial clearing brings the party to some sort of mechanical contraption. "Um…any of you nerds know what this is?"

Cyrus steps forward to study the mechanism. "This appears to be a console of some sort." He looks to the console's center, noting the trail of blue energy that is in a state of perpetual descent. "Its design reminds me of the research facility I was tasked with exploring."

Crossing her arms at the notion, Valerie asks, "You talking about the ruins near Bahador?" He nods to her. "That doesn't bode well. That's where you guys met the Void Dweller, remember?"

"True, but we have no other means of progressing." He gently places his hand upon the circular pattern resting at the center of this console; after a moment, the central energy shifts its color to turn purple, as well as changing direction to flow upwards instead of downward. The bodies of the Seekers, including Balto, are then imbued with an aura matching this color, causing them to float in the air. Cyrus immediately begins to panic, trying every motion he can think of in an effort to return to the ground – nothing works. "I don't like any of this!" He takes a few deep breaths to calm himself, as per Amy's suggestion; though the effort doesn't put him at ease, it does allow him to retain enough composure to assess the situation. "OK…OK. I'm sorry…I think I'll be fine."

"Chief, I'm pretty sure we can use that console to change us back to normal, but let me try something." He and the others turn to look at her; with their attention garnered, she motions towards the southern path the Seekers took to reach this place. To her own surprise, as evident by her yelp, Valerie's simple motion to move forward sends her hurtling at a high speed. She soon finds that, "I can't slow down!" and braces herself for the eventual impact with the tree ahead of her. She lets out a groan, only to quickly transition into another yelp upon seeing Cyrus crash right next to her. When he shows concern for her safety, completely ignoring his now red forehead, she lets out a sigh. "Chief, I worry more about you."

The Seekers employ a buddy system wherein the remaining members are intercepted by Valerie and Cyrus. The former of the two insists that she be the one to catch Balto, leaving no room for argument. As the Hound flies into her arms, she gently wraps them around his form, nuzzling her cheek against his soft fur. "It's OK, pupper; I'll always be here to protect you." Balto returns the nuzzling in kind, though he says nothing. The party repeats this process as they progress through the floor, eventually looping around to the opposite side of the console they used to alter gravity. When Cyrus interacts with this console again, it returns everyone to the ground. "Well…that happened."

The path beyond the console leads to a door; through this door is a wide expanse that branches off for two separate paths – the Seekers are free to either proceed through this next door or the southern path beside it. Stepping through the door, the party enters an area housing another gravity console. As she draws the map, Lissa directs her allies' attention to their avenue options. "After we start floating, we can either hover over the pit next to us, or we can see what lies beyond the pit of A2." Looking to Cyrus, she says, "Your call, leader."

"This should be the path of progress, so let's head back and see what that southern path has to offer." The path in question features two branching points; the first of these points leads to a dead end where bundles of Forest Wheat grow unimpeded. The second leads to another dead end, just as predicted, but before an investigation can be performed, the party is beset by a pair of enemies, one of which is new. Standing beside a Stone Steed is a massive goat with golden hooves and a head topped with glorious horns to match. Cyrus takes a step back at the sight, as do his comrades. "Those horns aren't even fit for stabbing; that thing might actually crush its prey to death instead." As he triggers a Union Skill on his own, he says, "I need a moment to scan that Cursed Capra; Valerie, use Wilting Miasma so Clarisse can try and bind that Stone Steed's legs!"

The Cursed Capra charges at Valerie after she and Clarisse successfully disable the Stone Steed. Lissa, despite being nowhere near the Harbinger, takes to glaring at the large goat, somehow negating the damage that was supposed to be dealt to her comrade. Amy takes splash damage from this as a result of the goat's stomping kicking up large rocks, but she is more concerned with the pale red aura that overtaken her form. "I think I've been cursed!"

Drawing his katana, Cyrus sets his sights on the Cursed Capra. "Use Titan Killer on the Stone Steed; Curse Recoil doesn't occur if you slay your target; Clarisse, bind the legs of the Capra next!" Amy motions into striking the Stone Steed, only for the creature to survive her attack. Cyrus glances over to see the effects of the Curse Recoil wrack her form and render her unconscious. ' _How in th- she lost the damage bonus from Titan Killer; shit._ ' The Stone Steed attempts to kick him in the face, only to be dodged entirely. "Lissa, trigger Resuscitate; I'll take care of the rest." As Amy rises to her feet, she can see several red ripples in the air that rip the opposition apart, ending their lives as well as the battle. Cyrus sheathes his blade and rushes over to address Amy's wounds. "My order got you killed; I'm so sorry, Amy."

"I'll give you this, nii-chan; Curse Recoil hurts…a lot. That one's on both of us, though. I forgot I was outside of Titan Killer's bonus range, too." She looks to the side to find that one of the hooves of the Stone Steed was removed during the battle. She picks it up, noting that aether is contained within but somehow sealed. "Huh, so binding that creature's legs will give us this Conditional Drop?" She secures it with the party's belongings before dusting off her robe. "There doesn't seem to be anything at this dead end, so let's move forward."

As it turns out, the pit located at A2 is the one the Seekers are meant to travel over. Trying to bypass the pit directly next to the switch that grants the floating effect forces the party back to the switch since there is no path forward. The party eventually crashes into a door, which proves to be a less painful experience than crashing into a tree. As Cyrus catches Lissa, he says, "I think the doors have a field in place that slows our approach; that's convenient, at least." Just before he places his hand in front of the door, he stops. "Wait, are we going to be sent flying the moment this opens?"

Balto looks to him and says, "We really don't have much of a choice." He looks to Clarisse. "I suggest you find someone to hold onto." In response, she grabs hold of Balto, gently holding him in her arms. Unable to accept this, Valerie reaches over and grabs hold of Clarisse, explaining that she can hug Balto this why by proxy. "Sometimes, it's tough being popular." The door is opened, but the Seekers are not sent flying directly ahead. "That's surprising." He looks to the left to see that the console that will disable the floating effect is nearby. "Cyrus, I leave this to you."

"Yes, of course…while you get to snuggle with Clarisse and Valerie."

"I am merely fulfilling my duty, Guild Leader."

Cyrus doesn't even bother with arguing against this logic. By the time this room is cleared, the party stands before the door leading into the next area. The hour has struck 1PM, and everyone is taking a short break to get over how disoriented the puzzle has left them. Lissa sits next to Cyrus, resting her head on his shoulder as she fills in the rest of the map concerning this large expanse. "Hey, dear, can you use gravity magic?"

"I cannot. Gravity magic is a lost art in Erdboden; I believe Master Annora is capable of using it, but she never taught me."

"Why is that?"

"I didn't need to give the denizens of the realm another reason to fear and despise me." Lissa ceases her work upon hearing this, though it is notable that she doesn't make any motion to look at him. "It's fine, Lissa; I agree with her decision." Once their break is over, the party continues onward; after stepping into an open grove in D3 that seems to have nothing in it, the Seekers return to the network of paths comprising the mid-southern portion of this floor. "I am definitely reminded of Etria's Yggdrasil Labyrinth. Tharsis' Labyrinth didn't sport so many options."

It takes 4 hours to map out this maze. Part-way through, the party realizes that there is a treasure chest that cannot be reached without first enabling their float effect. Clarisse asks, "Uh…how would we go about getting this?" She looks to Cyrus, who is currently looking over the map Lissa has drawn. "Either of you have any ideas?"

Cyrus shrugs as he says, "Yes, I've already devised the solution."

"You're kidding." He makes no verbal reply to this, instead smirking as he turns around to open the door leading further into the eastern reaches of this floor. Clarisse scoffs and rolls her eyes at this before following along with the rest of the team. While waiting for Lissa to map out the borders of this large expanse, a group consisting of several white animals can be seen bouncing around the trees in the distance. ' _Huh, rabbits._ ' She approaches the group, crouching down to get a better look at them. The creatures approach her without fear, likely curious as to why she looks so different. Clarisse chuckles at this before gently picking up one of the rabbits. "I may look different, but I am a rabbit at heart, no different from you guys." When Balto steps over and takes a seat, she is surprised to find that none of the rabbits have fled. "Balto's a good boy; he wouldn't harm the innocent."

This brief respite ends shortly after pleasantries are exchanged, forcing Clarisse to bid an early farewell to her kin. As night falls, the party arrives at the console that grants them the power to float. With this now in effect, they are free to explore beyond the pit located at the top right edge of E6. Curiously, a pillar housing the green light that transfers passengers between floors is here, though the party has no means of accessing it at present. Cyrus says, "We can confirm that pillar leads to the 24th floor; the dimensions of the map don't add up otherwise, so it definitely can't lead to that treasure chest on the 22nd floor."

Looking to him, Amy says, "At the same time, I don't think we can reach that pillar with our gravity altered like this." Pointing at the map, she follows, "I don't know what sort of puzzle we're going to deal with when we reach these FOEs, but I do know we're gonna have to deal with 'em." To her own surprise, this turns out to not be the case, for the party soon arrives at a console located in C6 that returns their gravity field to normal. Not only is the shortcut leading back to the descending pillar around the corner, the shortcut leading to the 24th floor's pillar is around this corner as well. "Huh. Well then."

Clarisse looks to her as she says, "I ain't complainin' Stinger. The floor is going to loop around once we hit that eastern border, but I have to wonder if there's anything concerning the top center that is relevant to us." Cyrus and Lissa test the shortcut leading to the ascending pillar, only to turn around and shake their heads. "You're joking, right?" Silence follows. "Damn it." She looks to Cyrus again, this time to see that he is offering to feed her a pancake. "Wh-" She sighs, steps forward, and then allows him to feed her. He even goes so far as to wipe her face, saying nothing throughout this entire exchange. "Yeah…thanks; I'm good to go now."

"Damn, Reese, why are your Skills so taxing?"

"That's a good question, Princess; wish I knew." A short walk takes the party from C7 to D1, but to their surprise there is nothing here, save for a gentle clearing where birds can be heard chirping. Feeling no need to rest, the party continues on to discover the next console. "Oh boy." She walks over and hugs Valerie. "I'm gonna buddy up with my pretty little Princess."

Cyrus grins at this, much to Valerie's chagrin. "Aw, how sweet; you've made a friend."

"This isn't very funny, Chief." She and her comrades return to the ground shortly after this console's effects are activated, for another console is just around the corner. Upon stepping through the door that lies in the same room as this console, the party immediately pulls the aggression of an FOE. "Huh? But it can't even see us? These doors aren't that loud." Rounding a corner reveals that the party has drawn the aggression of a Plague Demon. "Ah crap."

Having never seen this creature before, Clarisse, Balto, Amy, and Lissa all react in a manner entirely expected by both Valerie and Cyrus. The party proceeds along the path, unsure of how they're intended to bypass the Plague Demon; their concern is soon addressed as a new FOE, displeased with the Plague Demon having drawn so close to it, delivers a solid punch that sends the Plague Demon flying into the wall on the western edge of the area. The Seekers go wide-eyed at this. The creature, gargantuan in size, looks to the party, but makes no effort to attack them. It adopts an offensive stance, but drops it soon after realizing that the Seekers are not going to approach.

Amy looks to the others and says, "That thing isn't going to throw a punch unless we get within striking distance."

Lissa says, "Well that's going to be a problem; there's no other way past it. You saw how fast it turned around when the Plague Demon drew near; we wouldn't make it." She looks behind her to see another console, which puts a thought in her mind. "Actually…under the effects of that machine, we should be able to move fast enough to outright avoid it." She and Cyrus motion to test this, flying past the Clawed Fiend without triggering its ire. The rest of the party follows suit, allowing them to proceed through the next door. As it opens, Lissa says, "We'll have to return to the ground if we're going to get the treasure chest in here." Her eyes widen in terror as it is revealed that a Clawed Fiend stands directly on the path of the Seekers. Holding a hand to her chest, Lissa takes a moment to catch her breath. "Damn, we almost got launched into that thing."

Tilting his head at the sight, Cyrus says, "That FOE seems to be affected by the distorted gravity as well. Curious." The console of this room is easy enough to access, allowing the party to briefly backtrack and retrieve the Medica IV resting within the treasure chest in the previous room. "Alright, that just leaves two more things to deal with; first up is what I assume is the final FOE puzzle of the floor; the second is that one treasure chest back in D4. I wonder what's in it."

Crossing her arms, Amy says, "It better be a Formaldehyde." Lissa nods in agreement, though she says nothing. Stepping through the next door, she and her comrades are greeted by the sight of four Clawed Fiends. Amy stares blankly at this for several seconds, though her expression is entirely straight-faced. She eventually says, "This is not OK." The first two FOEs are simple to weave through, for there is enough space to slip between them without triggering their ire. The same notion seems to apply to the second pair as well, until Amy realizes something that causes her to frown. "The last one is too close to the door!" She then takes note of the gravity console. "Are you serious?"

As Cyrus activates the console, he looks to the now floating Clawed Fiends. "You know, I think this is how we're supposed to engage the FOE in proper combat. Trying to close in normally would result in us suffering the same fate as the Plague Demon."

Looking to him, Valerie asks, "So should we engage the one near the door, escape, and then strafe to the door itself?"

Clarisse looks to her, hand on her hip, and says, "That is incredibly cheesy." She looks to Cyrus and Lissa as she asks, "Would that even work?"

The two glance at each other for a moment before turning their attention back to Clarisse. Lissa says, "Yes, actually. Both the Lagaardian and Armoroad Branches have cleared FOE puzzles that way. We're not doing that here, though; these FOEs are too dangerous to warrant such gambles." When the party is suspended by the low gravity effect, she looks to Cyrus. "Ready when you are, dear."

Starting from the console, the party moves north, crashing into the tree a short distance away. They move west from here, stopped by a cluster of trees in C4. The only means of progressing without crashing directly into a Clawed Fiend is to move south and then east, which plants the party on the corner in C5 that is dangerously close to the Clawed Fiend guarding the door. From here, the Seekers move north, which marks the half-way point of this puzzle. The others are beginning to see the path Cyrus is having them follow. There are no complicated maneuvers from here, allowing the party to push themselves from the far northern edge of the room to the door leading out of here.

Floating through the now open door, Cyrus lets out a sigh of relief. "Not bad." He floats over to the last console of the floor in order to return gravity to normal. "Let's unlock the shortcut before grabbing that treasure chest."

After the party takes care of this, they return to this console. However, instead of activating it immediately, they watch as Cyrus receives the map from Lissa and takes to marking it. Everyone gathers around him to find that he is placing arrows at various turning points, also marking these same points with pink paint. "Nii-chan? I'm a little confused; what are you doi-" Her eyes widen with realization as the path becomes clear. "Oh~ I get it! This treasure chest better be worth it; that's a lot of trees we have to slam into."

Looking up to her, Cyrus asks, "What is this 'we' business you speak of? I'm going to retrieve the chest." Amy opens her mouth to speak, likely to protest, only for Cyrus to rise to his feet and furl the map. "The rest of you shall remain here; there's no reason all of us need to deal with potential injuries. I should be back before the hour strikes 4AM, and if not, then definitely before 5AM." To his surprise, no one objects to this – they only ask that he remain careful. He nods to this request, "Thanks for understanding."

True to his deduction, he returns to the party with a belt slung over his shoulder shortly after the hour strikes 4AM. Seeing this belt, Amy's eyes shade into a leer. "Cyrus…please be a bro and tell me that belt wasn't in the chest."

"Then I'd be lying to you."

"Son of a puss-spewing…" She sighs before disabling the gravity effect of the console. She walks over to Cyrus so that she may pull the Ariadne Thread from his pocket. "Not worth." These are her final words before the party is warped out of Yggdrasil for the night.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Once again, I've caught up with what I had written in advance. I'll take another week to try and establish a buffer, but there are other projects I'm working on so I might extend that._


	48. Through the Tumult

**Chapter 48: Through the Tumult**

Author's Notes: _We're still living, people. Just haven't been able to focus on actually writing as of late. This chapter was ready in advance, but uploading on April Fool's would have been in poor taste._

* * *

With the way to the 24th floor now clear, the Seekers elect to sleep in, save for one. Lissa sits at the dining room table along with Jenetta and Cyrus. The latter of the three is currently asleep; his combat journal lies open before his sleeping form, with his pen lying just beyond the reach of his still fingertips. An object contained in gift wrapping stands beside his head, and though the tag attached to it claims that this gift is intended to Fae from both Cyrus and Gwenivere, only Cyrus knows of the contents within. Lissa and Jenetta observe the sleeping individual before shrugging and returning to their own conversation.

"But really, Lissa, thanks again for helping my little sister out the other day."

"I didn't even realize that was your sister."

"Yeah, she said you were too busy chewing out the guy who was yelling at her."

"That pimple-dick idiot had it coming; who in their right mind gets that furious with a child? It's shameful!" Jenetta snickers at Lissa's choice of insult, though this is ignored. "If she's ever in trouble again, come find me – I'll take care of it." The sound of approaching footsteps prompts her to turn her head; Gwenivere draws near, eyes set on the two people who are actually conscious. "Mornin', love; sleep well?"

"The night would have been better if you and Cyrus were beside me, but yes, I suppose I slept well enough." She looks about the area, but doesn't seem to find what she's searching for. "By chance, have the two of you seen Fae this morning? When I rose from my slumber, the girl was no longer in my arms."

Jenetta raises a finger as she says, "Oh, she's doing scythe training with Valerie; she dragged Prince Hayato out of bed to make him watch from the sounds of it."

Folding her arms at the notion, Gwenivere adopts a contemplative expression as she says, "That girl has been growing more forceful as of late."

This elicits a chuckle from Lissa, who motions to say, "She clearly takes after you."

"And just what are you implying, my dear Elizabeth?" Before she can inquire further, her eyes scan to spot the gift-wrapped item standing beside her husband's head. After walking over to Cyrus' sleeping form, she picks up this item and looks over the tag. "That's strange – I do not recall purchasing a gift for the little one…"

Jenetta tilts her head at this. "Huh? You've never had your name attached to a gift? My sisters and I do that a lot when gift ideas line up. Instead of buying my little sister two of the same stuffed animal, my big sis and I just get the one and put both of our names on it."

"I am familiar with the concept, but I've never had my name put on a gift that I didn't put money towards. I don't even know what this gift is."

Seeing that Gwenivere is looking to Cyrus' unconscious form, Lissa shakes her head before saying, "If you're thinking about waking him up, I'd give up on that."

"That shall not be a problem." She clears her throat before looking down to her husband with a stern gaze. "Cyrus, your mistress is in need." He lifts his head without delay, eyes open and strangely void of any signs of exhaustion. Gwenivere smiles at this, her somewhat mischievous expression sending a chill down the spines of both Lissa and Jenetta. "Now there's a good boy." She presents the gift as she commands, "Reveal to me the contents of this gift."

"That is a vacuum flask for Fae."

"A vacuum flask?" She directs her attention to the gift for a moment, her mind endeavoring to determine the purpose of such an item. "Hm…retaining the temperature of her drinks would help her focus on her lessons." She chuckles. "A most pragmatic and thoughtful gift indeed." She places a fleeting kiss upon Cyrus' lips before pulling away and giggling to herself. "You have done well, darling; you may return to your slumber. I have the right of mind to reward you with thigh time later; it has been too long for my tastes."

Falling back into his seat, Cyrus' exhausted features suddenly strike him in full force. The whites of his eyes have reddened, his posture has deteriorated substantially, and he can barely keep his eyes open. "Happy to be of service, Milady." He then slumps back down on the table, his slowed breathing announcing his swift return to slumber.

"Of course he'd put my name on a gift such as this; knowing what I do now, it only makes sense." She steps over and places a kiss on Lissa's cheek, giggling to herself again. "This day has started quite well, I must say. If you ladies will excuse me, I have a gift to deliver. Ta-ta." She makes way for the side of the inn, where, in addition to the three people she's expecting to see, she also finds Evelyn sitting beside Hayato. Fae and Valerie are both currently engaged in a synchronized sequence of attacks, one that includes wide swings, weapon twirling, and a copious amount of flips. ' _Now is all of that truly necessary?_ ' She stops her thoughts before they can truly get going. ' _No, no, Gwenivere; you cannot criticize a style-based combat focus just because you disagree with the practice…even if it is excessive and largely impractical._ '

She takes a seat beside Evelyn, who is the first to offer a greeting. "Good morning, Lady Gwenivere; you're…looking awfully well for someone who isn't a morning person."

"My husband brightened my mood mere moments ago, actually. He supplied me with information that anyone of my make would be pleased to have."

Pointing at the gift in Gwenivere's hand, Evelyn asks, "Does this info have something to do with that gift?"

"Indeed!" She looks over to Hayato, noting that he's quite focused on the two people engrossed in training. Gwenivere's face is suddenly adorned with a catty smile akin to Clarisse, which only serves to send a chill running up Evelyn's spine. "My, my, little prince; are you unable to take your eyes off of her?"

"Huh? What?" He looks over to see Gwenivere's expression, immediately feeling the same chill that currently accosts Evelyn. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lady Gwenivere."

"Oh, you say that, but are you not enthralled with Fae's technique?"

"She is most certainly impressive, yes. I cannot name children her age capable of matching Valerie's pace." He shakes his head, frowning as he follows, "You, however, are trying to imply that there is something greater behind my admiration." He waves his hand dismissively at this notion. "I'm much too old for Fae, Lady Gwenivere. By the time she's of proper age, I'll be in my 20s and she'll be long over this little crush."

"And what if she isn't, little prince?" Hayato remains silent, unable to answer. "What if little Fae's heart remains settled on winning your affection when that time comes?" Hayato takes a moment to glance at Fae, and then back to Gwenivere, before settling to staring at the ground as he rubs the back of his head. "I'm not saying you have to make a decision now, but I do want you to consider this carefully." Looking to Fae in turn, she follows, "Fae is quite self-aware for one so young; there is little doubt in my mind that she understands her feelings more than the rest of us assume. Her sort of honesty and loyalty is easily abused." She sighs at this. ' _Of course, I'd know about that abuse all too well…_ ' Returning her focus to Hayato, she says, "I know not where your feelings lie, but I do know you'd never forgive yourself if you let someone take advantage of her in the future." Upon taking note of Fae's swift approach, she rises from her seat and puts a smile on her face. "After all, that is the little prince I've come to respect…the same prince my precious little angel has become enamored with."

"Hi, Aunt Gwen!" Fae does not wait for a proper reply before motioning to jump into Gwenivere's arms. The woman in question barely manages to set Fae's gift onto the bench behind her before the little girl is directly in front of her. Nuzzling her cheek against Gwenivere's she asks, "Did you see me practice?" Gwenivere nods. "I was good, right?"

"But of course, my little angel; there aren't many who can keep up with Valerie." Turning her attention to Valerie, she follows, "An impressive display as always, Valerie…though you know how I feel about style over function."

"Milady, the style feeds into the function; they are part of a whole." She waves a dismissive hand, scoffing as she says, "I'm a mite bit different from the Chief and Sir Eric; my style does feature its fair share of practicality." Smirking at her comrade, she says, "I'd be happy to teach you my ways, if you're willing to learn."

"Hm, an interesting offer. I shall think on it." Setting Fae onto the ground, she crouches in turn and presents the gift to the child. "Your uncle and I bought you a present. Now, Cyrus intended to give this to you a bit later, but after seeing your performance this morning, I have decided you have earned an early acquisition." Fae's expression beams brightly at the notion, which brings a smile to Gwenivere's face in turn. Though this smile is sweet in its visage, Evelyn and Valerie can sense an oppressive aura emanating from the woman. ' _Yes. Very soon, I shall be her favorite. All is proceeding according to keikaku._ '

Hayato shades his eyes at the sight. ' _She's thinking of something diabolical again…_ '

"Ca- May I open my present right now?" Gwenivere nods in reply, which is all Fae needs to see. To Valerie's surprise, the child opens the gift neatly instead of tearing into it like a voracious beast. Upon realizing that the gift is the vacuum flask that Cyrus promised her, a wide and joyous smile fixes itself onto Fae's countenance. She jumps in place, unable to contain her joy, before wrapping her arms around Gwenivere once more. "I love you, Aunt Gwen; you're the best!"

Hearing such gratitude endows Gwenivere with a surge of pride and power in equal measure. She rises from her crouching position, lifting Fae from the ground in turn. She returns the embrace, tightly holding the child in her arms. "I love you too, sweetie; let us procure ice cream – I shall let you indulge…just this once." She glances about the vicinity before saying, "I am in a good mood, so I shall invite the three of you to join us in our morning debauchery."

Evelyn begins gesturing her hands in a manner that suggests she wishes for Gwenivere to cease her declarations. "Whoa there, Milady; you're making this sound way worse than it actually is. We're not doing anything illegal."

"Hm? Oh, Evelyn, you silly girl; of course we aren't going to engage in nefarious acts. 'Debauchery' is merely synonymous with 'Decadence'; completely harmless."

Evelyn's face grows quite flustered at this leap in logic. "But it's also synonymous with 'depravity' and 'corruption'; surely you know this?"

"Then consider it another means of 'self-indulgence' – now are you going to join us for ice cream or not?" A moment of silence passes before Evelyn simply sighs and nods to her. "Excellent." Looking to Hayato, she asks, "And what of you, little prince?"

"The offer is lovely, to be true, but I have dance practice with Fiona; she let me go early since Fae was…insistent on having me watch her practice, but she's probably on her way now." A hand is placed on his shoulder, causing him to flinch in place. He glances backwards to find that Fiona is smiling at him, eyes closed. "Speak of the devil and she shall appear…"

"Now then…what's this I hear about ice cream?" Seeing Hayato's incredulous expression, Fiona can only chuckle. "It isn't often that Gwenivere will let her precious niece indulge out of turn; we shouldn't pass up this opportunity, my dear steppin' prince."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I don't joke about sweets, Lord Hayato; you know this." Before another comment can be presented, Fiona picks up Hayato, cradling him in her arms as she takes a step forward. "Let us be off, everyone – that ice cream isn't gonna eat itself."

While this group indulges in the act of consuming confectionery treats, Diana is finally stepping down from her room to begin the day. Stepping into the dining room, she finds that Lissa, Jenetta, and Cyrus are present, though the latter of the three is asleep. She chuckles softly at this before taking a seat beside Lissa. "Good morning, you two." She pulls out a book, one that catches the attention of Jenetta. "Hm? Are you familiar with this series, Jenetta?"

"Uh huh. I'm on the third entry, ' _Confessions of a Cartel Queen_ ', and it's pretty good."

A snicker sounds from Lissa before she says, "I didn't think you two would be into erotica."

Diana chuckles in turn, though her expression shows no signs of embarrassment. "I'm not exactly one for smut, but the narrative is engaging and the characters are compelling. Though, I must say that the smut of this novel is on point. I met a lovely Celestrian woman while I was out shopping last week; she's the one who suggested this to me." After thinking on it for a moment, she follows, "I believe you know her, Lissa – she's the mother you and Cyrus helped whilst exploring the Fetid Necropolis."

"Oh, the woman whose son was afraid of skeletons; how is she doing?"

"Oh, she's well. We bonded over drinks, trading stories of the time we've spent as parents." A smile forms on her lips as her expression becomes nostalgic. "It's always nice to get the perspective of a traditional housewife; as a single parent, it's helped me overcome roadblocks when I was raising Cyrus." She takes a brief look at her sleeping son, chuckling to herself. "Granted, he's long past the point where I'm raising him, but it's still nice information to carry forward when I get some grandchildren." She directs a grin at Lissa as she says, "Fair warning – I'm probably gonna spoil them rotten."

Lissa groans at this. "Please don't."

Diana laughs at this. "I make no promises. In return, how about I show you Cyrus' baby pictures?" A sinister gleam appears in the eyes of both Lissa and Jenetta, prompting Diana to snap her fingers and summon a large photo album to the table before her. Rather than start from the beginning, she opens part-way through the album; another nostalgic smile forms as she stares at the page for a moment, though Jenetta and Lissa cannot see what has her so amused. Placing the open album onto the table, she says, "This one is a favorite of mine." Pointing at the center of the left page, she directs the attention of the two to a picture of a baby, two years of age, garbed in a diaper and a bright blue birthday hat. The baby is holding onto a plate with a slice of cake on it, seemingly presenting the plate to the one holding the camera. Two adults are in the background, backs turned as they appear to deal with some other matter; the look on the baby's face suggests that he is in a hurry.

Jenetta places her hands to her cheeks, blushing as she scans the pictures on these two pages of the album. "Daw~ Is that Cyrus? He's so cute."

"This was taken during his second birthday. I had told him to get me a slice of cake as a joke, but he actually understood the request. He waited until Darryl and Denise weren't looking, snatched a plate, and then rushed back to me." She pokes Cyrus in the cheek, giggling to herself. "He was a real sweetheart." Her attention is caught by his open combat journal. "Hm? What's this, then?" Taking a closer look, she can see that the current pages outline a party setup involving herself, Fiona, Lissa, Fae, and Hayato. "Hm, that's strange. This setup takes advantage of Sylphscreen, and I get that much, but this requires me to make a switch to Spirit Evoker…for Grave?"

Glancing at the journal in turn, Lissa says, "You would command your Wraiths to counterattack any hits that manage to slip through Sylphscreen and actually damage Fiona."

Jenetta tilts her head at this. "But wouldn't Fiona take basically no damage at all at that point? Isn't Sylphscreen really potent?"

A sinister grin forms on Lissa's expression, one that is reminiscent of Cyrus' and causes Jenetta and Diana to reel back. "That is true, Jenetta, but the Wraiths won't care about how much damage she takes; if any hits slip through her evasion, they'll retaliate in full force."

"My son is definitely a bad influence on you."

"I have no idea what you're talkin' about, Mum; this isn't Cyrus' doing."

"That's even more worrisome. Still…" Her gaze returns to the notebook. "He is ever the studious one. I'll have to consider making this change somewhere down the line."

Resting her chin in her hand, Lissa plants an elbow on the table as she says, "I don't think that'll be necessary. This strikes me as one of Cyrus' gimmicky setups, the kind he writes down but never actually gets to test during the adventure."

"That sounds wasteful, don't you think?"

"Well…yeah, when you put it that way. I don't think he minds, though; it's just for fun."

"Perhaps, but it would be much nicer if that fun wasn't limited to just a couple of pages in a notebook."

A grin fixates on Lissa's lips as she asks, "Mum, are you by chance upset that you might not get to show off?"

Diana blushes at the accusation. "T- That's preposterous! What cheek, insinuating such a thing!" Cyrus lifts his head from the table, presumably in response to Diana's increased volume. He looks around in confusion, his tired gaze soon landing on her. "My apologies, son; did I wake you?"

"What dimension is this?" Diana tilts her head at the bizarre question, unable to process the inquiry, let alone provide an answer. Cyrus looks around, albeit briefly, to discern his whereabouts. "Jenetta…Lissa…OK." He lets out a yawn before rising from his seat to stretch. His spine pops, causing Jenetta to flinch. One glance at the table reveals that the vacuum flask he purchased for Fae is not where he left it. He looks around again, but does not find it. "Ah Hell. Did any of you three happen to see a tall gift that was supposed to be near me?"

Lissa tilts her head at this. "Don't you remember? Gwenivere came by, ordered you to reveal the contents of the gift, and then walked off with it." Cyrus face-palms at this revelation. "You…weren't supposed to let her walk off with that gift, were you?"

"I was not, no. Knowing her, she's already handed the gift over to Fae, undoubtedly in an effort to earn the child's favor and be labeled as the favorite."

Jenetta asks, "So what's the plan?"

"There isn't one; there's nothing to be done about this. I could go back to sleep, but I've already done my stretches a-" his eyes widen in terror upon taking notice of the photo album on the table. He quickly closes it, exchanging brief glances with both Jenetta and Lissa as he asks, "How much did you see?"

Completing ignoring his flustered countenance, Jenetta smiles as she replies, "Diana showed us what you did on your second birthday. Oh, and I saw one where you were dancing with your dad."

When Lissa's eyes lock with Cyrus' she says, "I happened to see a picture of you in footie pajamas…the ones that made you look like a Paladin." As Cyrus opens his mouth to speak, she preemptively interrupts him. "Just so we're clear, that was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. We're buying those exact pajamas for our firstborn; I won't take 'no' for an answer."

"That's…that is acceptable." He looks to Diana. "Mom, right in front of me, no less?"

"I regret nothing, son. As a matter of fact, if you'll just hand that album over, I just recalled a picture that Lissa should definitely see." As expected, Cyrus takes a wide step away from her, clutching to the album tightly. "You worry too much; I'm only going to show her the time you picked up the centipede you mistook for a strand of hair." He runs out of the dining room at full speed, with the sound of the front door closing suggesting that he has left the inn entirely. "That boy sure can run." She grins. "He's forgetting something very important, though." She snaps her fingers, causing the photo album to appear on the table once again. "Now then, where were we?" A loud, echoing cry of anguish can be heard in the distance, followed shortly by Cyrus rushing back into the dining room. "Ah, welcome back, Cyrus; have you decided to join us?"

"Don't do this." He takes a step forward, eyes gradually shifting to gaze upon the opened album. "We can talk about th-" The sight of a picture brings him pause, though the expression he wears does not suggest fear or embarrassment. He takes a seat between Diana and Lissa and pulls the album closer, much to the surprise of the former. He points at the picture that currently commands his attention, drawing the attention of the others to it. The picture depicts a large sphere of water floating above a trio of children. Of the three, one is a 3-year-old sitting upon the floor; he looks up to the sphere with a hand raised to it – this same hand glows with a blue aura, suggesting that he is the creator of the sphere.

Curiously, one of the other children, a 9-year-old boy who looks to be the older brother of Cyrus, is running away while looking back at the sphere. Curious still, the final child, a girl of 10 years, is diving towards Cyrus with a worried expression plastered on her countenance. She seems intent on grabbing hold of him to pull him from under the sphere, which leads Lissa to make a vocal comment. "I guess that sphere was gonna fall on you?"

Diana frowns at the picture. "Who took this, again? It certainly couldn't have been Denise or myself; we would have been too busy having a fit about you using magic unattended."

"Jessica was over that day."

"The girl who runs your favorite flower shop?" After a moment of contemplation, she follows, "Ah, right. Jessica was Diane's best friend." She lets out a huff, puffing her cheek in turn as she directs her frown at Cyrus. "Honestly, you were quite the troublemaker when you wanted to be. I suppose Trevor is to blame for that; your brother certainly had a big influence on you."

"That applies to Diane as well." Another picture, one much larger in size, catches his attention as he turns a few pages. Depicted in this picture is Cyrus with his entire family four years later, sometime after he has turned seven and acquired the Runic Eye. Amy and her family are standing within the photo as well, along with Diana and a family of three that neither Lissa nor Jenetta recognize. Cyrus is the only person in the shot sitting in a chair; the other subjects of the shot are gathered around him, with Diana and Denise each placing a single hand on either of his shoulders. The smiles these two wear are gentle, while Cyrus' smile is wide and bright.

The sight brings a soft smile to the current Cyrus' face; a tear streams from his eye almost immediately afterwards. "Dear, you alright?"

Instead of responding, Cyrus reaches over to Lissa's farthest shoulder and brings her closer to him. Her head now rests on his chest, granting him the chance to rest his cheek on the top of her head. "You think our kids will smile like that one day, Lissa?"

She chuckles. "Of course they will." She makes herself comfortable as she thinks to herself, ' _I'll bring that smile back to your face, too._ '

Gwenivere and her entourage, having reached an interlude in their respite of decadence, currently lounge in the Twilight Tavern at a table stationed beneath a window through which the sun's rays beam. Mirina approaches the group and looks over them, taking note of how everyone present is wearing sunglasses. Curious of note are Fiona and Valerie, both of whom are garbed in black suits, accentuated by black ties that clash with their white dress shirts. Sitting upon Fiona's lap is Hayato, who currently sits with a straight face as the woman occasionally strokes his hair. Fae entertains a similar luxury as she sits upon Gwenivere's lap, though she wears an undeniable smile to contrast Hayato's poker face.

A soft chuckle escapes Mirina when the group raises their glasses in toast to her presence. As she slides the usual clipboard towards Gwenivere, she dons a grin. "Your mission, should you choose to accept it: A Masurao who frequents my bar recently broke his trusty katana, and is now searching for materials to fix it."

Evelyn sets her glass onto the table as she directs her attention at Mirina. "That is most unfortunate." Gwenivere nods to this, her lips curving to form a frown. "Ah, right; Lady Gwenivere is a fellow samurai – of course she'd know the struggle."

"Katana maintenance is already a significant undertaking from the outset, but to fully break your weapon? There are few worse situations to end up in…" She pauses for a moment, and though no one can see her eyes due to the sunglasses obscuring them, she diverts her gaze to stare at open space as she follows, "Breaking a scabbard is one such situation."

Mirina tilts her head at this. "That shouldn't happen often, though, right?"

"Depends on your fighting style, I'm afraid. When you practice Iaijutsu as I do, you frequently return your blade to its sheath, and even use it for parrying attacks. I have to replace mine quite frequently."

"I had no idea. As for the client, he said he saw you, Evelyn, and Cyrus walking through the marketplace carrying ore samples he had neither seen nor heard of. After a bit of research, he found out they're from the Untamed Garden."

Evelyn's eyes momentarily widen at this as the memory returns to her. "Oh, right. Cyrus and Lady Gwenivere were helping me pick out the best of our haul to use for my katana forging."

Looking to Gwenivere, Hayato says, "The Seekers have yet to visit the Mine Points of the 22nd Floor."

Mirina chuckles at this. "The client only needs a single cut of ore, and it's up to you which one to give. I have another request for you, this one coming from an antiques dealer; I hear he's an avid collector of antlers." The group looks to her expectantly, and though she can't see beyond the shaded lenses of their sunglasses, Mirina knows exactly what faces they currently wear. Another chuckle escapes her before she says, "This time, however, he's asking for a goat's horn and a boar's tusk." Directing the group's attention to a table closer to the counter, she follows, "He's actually here right now, so you should have a chat with him." Seeing Valerie face-palm, she asks, "Something the matter, Princess?"

"Yeah, I think we got those materials already…and sold them to Syrik." Mirina cringes where she stands. "Yeah…so it goes." A sigh escapes the woman as she rises from her seat. She takes a moment to pull back Gwenivere's chair, allowing the woman and Fae to rise in turn. Once Fae is set onto the ground, Valerie takes hold of her hand and starts walking towards the location of the second client. Sitting at the table Mirina indicated is a lone Brouni, one who is shabbily dressed; at present, he is enjoying the food and drink provided by Mirina, quietly musing to himself on the quality of both the servings as well as the establishment's atmosphere. "Hey, how's it going?"

As he turns to face Valerie, he returns her greeting. "Hm? Well met, it go-" He is cut off as Valerie graces his vision. Seeing her attire brings him pause, with the sight of Fae robbing him of what remains of his response. "Um…hey there. I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Valerie tilts her head at this. "You mean the getup? Oh, pay it no heed; a friend of mine asked me to dress like this for our outing today."

Fae says, "We're here to handle your quest, mister."

The man's face brightens at this. "Ah, what luck! I can't thank you enough. You see, I use antlers in all of my decorating, but lately that's started to get boring; I wanna try horns and tusks, but they're hard to get."

Having arrived on the scene, Fiona asks, "Is there a particular reason you're looking for specimens from the Labyrinth?"

"I'm told that monsters in Yggdrasil are more intimidating than those in the regular world."

Gwenivere arrives on the scene in turn, giving a single nod as a smirk forms on her face. "A fellow connoisseur. It is as he says, my friends; there is a certain appeal to decorating your home with spoils of war won from monsters rather than typical wildlife."

Fae raises an eyebrow to this as she looks up to Gwenivere. "Wait, do people in the Province of Nature actually use animal parts for decorating? How does that work?"

"We do not hunt indiscriminately, Fae. Such decorations are uncommon among my people, which is why you could say we endeavor to make such occasions special."

"You mean like how you let me indulge in this deca- um…decadence?"

"That is precisely right, my lovely angel, and you did well to pronounce that word in turn." She pats Fae on the head, eliciting a giggle from the child in kind. Returning her focus to the client, she says, "We shall handle the task, good sir." The Brouni thanks the group for its cooperation before bidding them farewell. The Seekers depart from the Twilight Tavern to make way for Jenetta's Inn. Their morning of decadence has come to a close, so they seek to begin their work proper.


	49. Divergence

**Chapter 49: Divergence**

Upon stepping into Jenetta's Inn, the group is greeted with the sight of Amy, Clarisse, and Stacy hoisting Cyrus above their heads and preparing to carry him upstairs. Fae removes her sunglasses, securing them to the collar of her shirt before running over to bar the path. "D- Did Uncle do something bad?"

Amy releases her hold of Cyrus, prompting Clarisse to pick up the slack. She steps over to pick up Fae and squeeze the child in a loving embrace as she says, "Not at all, cutie; we have need of nii-chan's dark magic."

"Eh? Why? Are you summoning a Great Old One or something?"

Amy's eyes widen at the suggestion before she shakes her head emphatically. "Goodness, no! I'm not fighting the Abyssal God again. Stacy and Clarisse started reading ' _Crystal Maiden_ '."

"Oh, really? What volume are they on?"

"They're ready to start Volume 4."

Fae nods sagely, giving a knowing smile as she says, "Say no more." As Amy sets her back onto the floor, Fae directs her attention to the duo carrying Cyrus and says, "You know what you must do, Uncle."

"Yes, little one; my path is clear." When Amy returns and takes her place in the carrying formation, he follows, "Alright, ladies; take me to the site of the ritual."

Gwenivere clears her throat, garnering the group's attention as she says, "Yes, before you go about your dark manga rituals, we have a job to take care of." After explaining the requests that were accepted, she follows, "I suggest we handle the Masurao's quest first. It would behoove us to finally visit the 5th Stratum's Mine Points, I surmise."

Having been set back onto the floor, Cyrus takes a moment to adjust his clothes before saying, "Sounds like a plan." He heads upstairs to recruit Valerie for the gathering venture, departing with his party shortly after. The gathering party consists of himself, Amy, Valerie, Clarisse, and Gwenivere; though Fae has tagged along, she will not be climbing Yggdrasil – her destination lies at the marketplace. En route to dropping off Fae, the group is met with a large gathering, one that seems to be a protest of some sort. Prince Ramus is present, though he stands a considerable distance away from the cavalcade of citizens. Holding up a hand in greeting, Cyrus calls out to the prince. "Good morrow, your Highness!"

Turning to face the Seekers, a smile fixes itself onto Ramus' face. "Ah, hello again. Out for a stroll?"

Gwenivere shakes her head to this. "We have taken on another job, actually. Before we can scale the great tree, however, we have decided to take a small detour to drop off Fae at the marketplace."

"Ah, I see; sometimes I wonder if your moments of respite are too brief."

Attention caught by the clamor of the gathering, Fae points to it and asks, "Prince Ramus, what's going on over there?"

"This is a protest, young Fae. Recently, a woman by the name of Corona Mayberry has been placed under suspicion of murdering the head of House Blackthorn."

Resting a hand on her hip, Clarisse can only shake her head. "That trial is gonna go nowhere. Mayberry's fans are incredibly protective of her. She could publicly kick a puppy in the face, cackling like a banshee while deafening thunderclaps roar throughout the land, and people would still think the sun shines out of her ass."

Amy adopts a contemplative stance at the notion, soon asking, "It's because she's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Flowing blonde hair that shimmers a shade of gold in the sunlight; green eyes that sparkle more beautifully than any emerald; a body comparable to Spirit Mama; and a public image of humility and grace – Mayberry has it all, really."

Adding to this, Ramus says, "We have never had problems with Lady Corona before; this is the first time a transgression concerning her has been brought to the Council." Looking to the crowd, he takes a moment to scan the protestors. "What surprises me is not the amount of support she has amassed, but the sheer volume of those who would see her condemned."

Crossing her arms, Gwenivere says, "There is likely a good reason for that, one that extends beyond simple envy." When Ramus turns to face her, she continues, "Everyone has a side that they won't allow others to see. For all of my pleasantries, I am by no means perfect. I am a schemer, one who has taken advantage of those she cares about for personal gain. The citizens of my Province would have you believe I am incapable of wrong," she pauses, glancing at Cyrus as she concludes, "my husband included." She waits a moment for Cyrus to retort, but he does not. "Humans are easily blinded by beauty; that which is desirable could never truly be evil." She runs a hand through her hair, scoffing at the notion. "There will always be those who capitalize on that; I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Lady Corona being one such person."

Ramus is silent as he processes Gwenivere's words. He motions to speak, only to place a fist to his lips to take another moment to think. "I am no stranger to the inner machinations of the upper class. Much work is often done in the shadows, but for Lady Corona to have potentially covered up all of it?" He shakes his head. "Could one person really command so much power?"

Gwenivere nods to this. "I haven't a doubt, especially if she's as beautiful as Clarisse described."

Ramus' eyes momentarily widen as he says, "Ah, that reminds me." He points to a particular protestor holding up a sign. In bold and striking red letters, it reads: "Corona Mayberry isn't even innocent; you people are just thirsty!" Cyrus and Valerie snicker at this, causing Amy to do the same. "I had a feeling you would be the people to ask. Forgive my ignorance, but what does 'thirsty' mean in this context?"

Cyrus chuckles, resting a hand in his pocket. "The state of 'being thirsty' entails being overcome with lustful desire for the flesh." Ramus' expression is now one of incredulity. "That sign is declaring that those who believe Lady Corona is innocent only hold that belief because their minds are clouded by their desires to have her as a bedmate."

"You…surely you jest?" Cyrus remains silent. "Surely no one would jeopardize an investigation over something so trivial?" Everyone in the Seekers, save for Fae, clears their throats and looks away. "My word…"

Valerie crosses her arms as she says, "Never underestimate the power of sex appeal, Prince Ramus. There are people who feel that way about you, as well." The prince reels back at the notion as Valerie continues, "Your people are quite fond of you, women especially. It helps that you have an adorable baby face; it makes them want to protect you at any cost."

Ramus presses his fingertips to his forehead, his gaze directed at the ground below. "I have much to think about."

Fae looks up to her comrades and says, "I'm still a little lost. How can you tell when a person is this different kind of thirsty?"

Jabbing a thumb towards Gwenivere's direction, Cyrus opts to provide an explanation. "Right, so you're aware of that strange stare Gwenivere and Lissa give me when they think I'm not looking?" Gwenivere's face turns red at this, with a flustered countenance taking over her face shortly after. "Or how Amy gets really weird when she starts talking about her husband and I being a couple?" Amy lets out a huff at this, crossing her arms and puffing out a cheek, mumbling something about Cyrus and Eric constantly denying her desires.

Fae's expression brightens at this. "Oh~ I get it!" Pointing at Cyrus, she follows, "So you're being thirsty whenever you stare at Aunt Gwen's legs and bite your lower lip?"

"Yes, precisely." Clarisse gives him a blank stare, her eyes suggesting that she wishes to poke fun at him. "Say what you will, Reese; I feel no shame in my love for my mistress."

"But, Uncle…I've seen you giving Clarisse that same look."

' _Oh, shit, she has?!_ ' He now feels Clarisse's glare upon his form, but he dares not direct his attention to her in his current state. ' _I can fix this._ ' He clears his throat, offering a bemused chuckle as he replies, "You are mistaken, my little angel; I have not directed such a lecherous gaze at Clarisse's form, though her beauty is worthy of such. I have, however, stared at Valerie in that manner; perhaps that is what you saw?"

Fae puts a finger to her lips, adopting a contemplative expression as she takes a moment to think it over. "Maybe. Clarisse and the Princess are together a lot."

' _Heh, good show, Cyrus; clever boy._ '

Valerie looks to her mentor, seeing an all too familiar glint in his eyes. ' _Did the Chief really just use my love for the pupper to get himself out of this situation?_ '

' _All according to keikaku._ '

As if hearing Cyrus' thoughts, she frowns. ' _He totally did! The shrew!_ ' Despite her mild fury, she refrains from throwing him out in the cold; crossing her arms, she says, "Chief, no matter how intense the thirst, I won't speed up my process for you."

"Oh, I know; I promised to wait until you were properly ready; you know I never break a promise." Out of curiosity, he turns his head to look at Clarisse, who is still glaring at him. He smirks. "Are you alright, Buttercup?"

She dons a furious blush at the nickname. "Don't call me that, and don't try to change the subject. I have words, Co."

"Oh, I'm sure, but we have work to do; wouldn't want to make Fae miss a big sale, nor would we want to distract the prince from his work." He places his hand over his chest and bows to Ramus. He then grabs hold of Fae's hand as he says, "It has been a pleasure, as ever, Prince Ramus, but we must be going."

Ramus gives a soft smile, hiding the fact that he knows exactly what Cyrus is trying to do. "Yes, of course. Do stop by when you have the time; I have some cooking samples I'd like to get an opinion on."

Valerie punches her fist to her open palm, a fiery aura suddenly overtaking her. "My apprentice is showing confidence in his craft? I am most pleased. You can expect my future arrival, my dearest Prince Apprentice; I shall happily judge your progress."

Scratching at his cheek, Ramus can only chuckle. "Perhaps I should take a moment to refine the recipe; just to be on the safe side. Please excuse me."

Ramus departs, leaving the Seekers to continue on with their own agenda. After dropping Fae off with Syrik, the party makes way for the Untamed Garden. Materializing on the 22nd floor, the group looks around to find that the immediate area is at peace. The opportunity to cook is present, but since today's lunch has already been prepared, the chefs of the party refrain. Gwenivere casts a veil of invisibility on the group, allowing their trek to commence. The first stop is the Mine Point located in C4, which is the closest to the floor's entrance. Here, the group, save for Gwenivere, takes up a pickaxe and sets out to work.

The first to procure a haul is Clarisse, who presents four cuts of a thin material emblazoned with a pattern that she claims is capable of glowing in the dark. "These are cuts of fluorescent ore, and some pretty good samples if I ain't mistaking." She then holds up a single unit of a different material. This one is a crystal sporting a multi-colored gleam. "I have no idea what this one is." Looking to Cyrus, she smiles. "Co? You're needed."

"That's a cut of rutilated quartz." He scratches the side of his head, adopting a confused expression as he follows, "I'm…kind of surprised you found that up here."

"Hm? How come?"

"In Erdboden, rutile is most commonly found in chunks of ore that are composed primarily of titanium dioxide; such sources are often discovered in caves near shorefronts, for beach sand is a potential environment in which this mineral can develop." He looks around the area, soon following, "Rutile forms within metamorphic rocks, specimens that end up undergoing physical and chemical changes due to being subjected to high pressure and incredibly high temperatures."

Crossing her arms, Valerie looks to Clarisse and says, "The Untamed Garden doesn't really look like the type of place where these sorts of rocks would exist." She takes a moment to think on that statement. "Then again, this entire Stratum is artificial; the scientists behind it could have easily developed an artificial environment where such units of ore can develop without issue."

A thought occurs to Cyrus, prompting him to say, "Though specimens like quartz are often found in metamorphic rocks, they aren't guaranteed to be the result of the host's metamorphism; they can still be present in spite of that, so rutile forming within the quartz from there isn't out of the question."

Clarisse chuckles at this. "I keep forgetting how nerdy you two can be." Valerie puffs out a cheek at this. "Oh relax, Princess; I like that you're a nerd." Valerie then puffs out her other cheek to match. Ignoring this, Clarisse turns her attention to the two units of ore that Cyrus has procured. "You found something, too?"

"Ah, yes." He presents the item for his companions to see. In his hand is a dull white stone. "It would appear that granite can be found up here as well. This stone is surprisingly hard, and takes a great deal of skill to handle if you plan to carve it by hand. Most Erdboden artisans lack the skill necessary to work with this material, so machinery is used instead."

Pointing at the rock in Cyrus' hand, Gwenivere says, "We often use granite as flooring tiles in the Province of Nature. There is also a monument dedicated to the previous Overlords that is entirely composed of granite. When my aunt steps down from rule, her name will be added to that monument, along with my mother's, who serves as her Royal Adviser."

Placing her hands together, Amy smiles and says, "The counters in nii-chan's kitchen are mostly made up of polished granite; it all shines beautifully in the summer." She looks to Cyrus, resting her hands on her hips as she follows, "I keep telling him to switch to marble floor tiles to match, but he's so stubborn about sticking to wood."

"The rosewood flooring I currently have in place is too good to switch out, Amy; it serves as an excellent complement to the azul platino granite." He clears his throat. "That aside, I picked out the rosewood with Ha-chan's help, specifically way back when the house was originally being restored."

Amy's face expresses surprise at this. "What, really? You two never told me that."

"It never came up in conversation." He stores the cuts of granite, as well as the rest of the haul, with the party's belongings. "That's one node down; let us hit the next and return to Iorys." At the next Mine Point, located in B2, Cyrus takes note of a minor error with the Guild's map. "Huh, that's weird." When Clarisse asks him why he's drawing on the map, he says, "There's an area ahead that hasn't been noted." Pointing to the north, he calls attention to another glowing pit that connects to a path. "We still can't reach the northern border of this floor, and I suspect that we'll need to operate a gravity console to do so."

Looking to the path, Valerie frowns as she says, "I wonder how we're gonna get over there. If a console exists on this floor, it would have to be in an area we can't reach from this side."

Amy says, "Eh, we probably get there from a higher floor, or maybe there's a secret shortcut that hasn't been revealed yet. Perhaps our battle with the Stratum Boss will cause a wall to crumble." Valerie stares at her blankly. "What?"

"This isn't a Tabletop RPG, you know; that wouldn't happen."

Cyrus laughs at this before clarifying that, "Such a thing has happened before, actually." He takes to overlooking the map of the 23rd floor, soon stopping as a thought begins to form in his mind. "Wait…" He then places the map of the 22nd floor directly next to it. "It can't be…"

"What's up, Chief?"

"I think I figured out our problem with this floor." He rises to his feet and furls up both maps. With the haul of ore secure, he pulls a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket and says, "You ladies head to the Twilight Tavern and turn in one of our rutile cuts for the quest; I have to speak with Prince Ramus." He then warps the group out of Yggdrasil before dashing off for the Council Hall, leaving the ladies of the party to carry out his order.

Stepping inside the bar, Mirina takes note of everyone's perplexed expressions. "Looks like you finished a job, but what's with the looks?" Clarisse and Valerie offer a brief explanation, to which Mirina replies. "Ah, just Cyrus being his usual self; I wouldn't worry about him. So, which rock are you turning in?" Upon being handed a cut of rutile, she nods and says, "Got it. Wait here a moment while I make my delivery." Her return is swift, and brings with it a satisfied expression. "The Masurao was overjoyed, Seekers. He's quite certain that he'll be able to forge a stronger blade from the rutile you provided, and even added an extra Amrita to the reward."

She then hands the group a box containing four bottles of Amrita and a single bottle of Amrita II, a sight which brings wide smiles to the faces of both Amy and Clarisse. The party bids Mirina farewell shortly after this and then makes way for the marketplace to turn in the rest of the mining haul to Syrik. Fae reportedly returned to Jenetta's Inn after her business was complete, so she is not present here as the party thought she'd be. Their business concluded, the ladies elect to head back to the inn as well. Cyrus' return takes a bit longer than expected, allowing Gwenivere and Amy a respite to enjoy a freshly chilled cheesecake.

When Cyrus returns, he bears a grin on his face, one that Clarisse and Valerie can only offer blank stares to. He rushes upstairs to change out of his Masurao gear and into his Fencer attire. When he returns downstairs, Lissa is at his side, garbed in her armor. "Seriously dear; what has you so riled up? Did you remember that Gwenivere offered you thigh time this morning?"

He turns to face her, a look of confusion on his face as he asks, "Milady did what?"

"Oh, right; you were barely conscious for that. I guess you wouldn't remember."

Before taking another bite of her cheesecake, Gwenivere dons a smile as she turns to look at the duo. "I am a woman of my word; should it please my husband, tonight would be perfect." Her smile twists into its catty grin once again before the woman licks her lips. "I would be positively delighted if you would join us, Elizabeth."

Lissa shrugs, putting forth a smile as she says, "Sure. Why the Hell not; sounds like a good night."

"Ah, how wonderful!" She turns to Jenetta as she says, "I'll be needing that key after all, my fair host."

Jenetta slides the key across the table as she continues to partake in her confectionery delight. "Yep, have fun~"

Gwenivere is swapped out of the party in favor of bringing in Lissa; the Seekers then depart for the 23rd floor. To the surprise of the ladies, their starting point is the ascending pillar that leads to the 24th floor. From here, Cyrus directs them westward towards the gravity console in D5. Before Cyrus can operate the console, his comrades partner up; Amy, Valerie, and Clarisse convene for a group hug, leaving Lissa to chuckle as she steps over to Cyrus. In but a moment, the party is floating in the air once again.

Lissa wraps her arms around Cyrus' form; though she is clad in armor, he shows no signs of discomfort. Making herself comfortable, she takes a moment to whisper into his ear. "Fear not, love; I'll protect you." She does not give him a chance to reply as she nuzzles her cheek against his; she then motions towards the east, having an idea of what Cyrus wishes to do with the party's current state. On Cyrus' direction, the party returns to the shortcut that will lead them back to the pillar that descends to the 22nd floor. To Lissa's surprise, she and her comrades are capable of riding this pillar to the floor below, retaining their state of flotation all the while. "Holy crap, that actually worked."

Amy looks around, taking note that, "The gravity console must work Stratum-wide, then. That's good to know."

Resting her chin in her hand, Valerie says, "Now I'm curious as to how this would affect the other FOEs. We could get preemptive strikes on the Plague Demons, but I'm not sure of those spiky birds." She looks to see that Cyrus has pressed on ahead to obtain the contents of the treasure chest the party has long since been denied. He returns after a few minutes, holding a helm in his grip. The helm sports curved peaks on either side, along with an ornament in the center. Pointing at the helm, specifically at the shimmering ornament, she asks, "You don't think the chests up here can freeze time, do you? That helm looks really well preserved."

After taking a moment to look over the helm, Cyrus says, "I hadn't even thought of that. Curious indeed." After storing the helm among the party's belongings, he sets his sights on the straight path that will send the group back to the pillar of light that leads down to the 21st floor. "We could even explore the 21st floor this way…"

Clarisse rests a hand on his shoulder. "One thing at a time, Co; you'll burn out if you try to take on too much at once." She grabs hold of him and pulls out her whistle to summon Balto; the Hound expresses surprise that the entirety of the Stratum was in its state of reduced gravity, but offers no complaints for the trip. Seeing that his mistress is holding on to Cyrus, he floats over to Valerie, who happily takes him into her loving arms. "I'll look after you; someone has to."

"You don't trust me?"

"To take care of yourself?" She chuckles. "Hell no."

"Don't be too honest with me now."

The party proceeds down the stretch, quickly arriving in front of the descending pillar. Rather than ride the beam of light to the 21st floor below, the party motions towards the westward shortcut of this area. From here, they circle around to reach the area containing the second Mine Point, the same area where Cyrus made corrections to the Guild's map. True to form, there is a path that lies beyond the glowing pit that was marked. This path stretches for a short flight distance, ending with a larger clearing.

Amy surveys the area to see what she can find. "No enemies spotted. Still, there really was more to this floor." She takes a moment to crack her knuckles before saying, "Let's get to it."

There are two avenues of progression from here. At the northern-most edge of this clearing, and by extension the northern-most border of this floor, the party is presented with two paths – one leading west, the other east. The westward path will lead the part to the other side of the map due to the wrap effect, so they elect to take the long path leading to the east. A treasure chest is passed by along the way, and the only means of pilfering its contents seems to be returning the state of gravity to normal. Another branch awaits; the party can either progress further east, or take the western path to have a chance to explore the rest of the clearing that they couldn't before. By Lissa's suggestion, they fly westward.

Lissa frowns upon realizing that there are two more paths to take. "I guess we should take the middle path." She glances at the map in Cyrus' hand and says, "We at least have an idea of where the bottom path will take us, and we can always come back." Taking this path sends the party on its longest flight yet, sending them from A1 to A4 but in reverse. Looking to Cyrus, Lissa asks, "You doin' alright?"

"So far? I think I'm fine." His legs are shaking as he says this, but no one comments on that. Looking to the path they just traveled, he says, "I saw an opening to the south during our flight, but judging its exact location will be difficult."

Lissa nods to this. "We'll keep an eye out for it. Are we heading north or south from here?" The party chooses to take to the north, which brings them to the path that would have resulted from taking the northern-most flight path from earlier. Curiously, this particular path offers no openings, so the group must turn back the way they came to explore the only path that remains. It is realized a moment too late, but it becomes clear that, "This path takes us back to the descending pillar." She and Cyrus slam into a tree, coming to a halt. To the south she can see the camp site that the party built. "Damn it. We have to go back."

En route, the party encounters a group of enemies. A trio of Panda Ants leads the charge while two Cursed Capra, one of which is a Rare Breed, occupy the rear line. Amy triggers the use of Double Attack between herself and Clarisse, getting the jump on the Rare Breed as she flies forward to punch it in the face. She kicks off of the Cursed Capra's horns to deliver a flying punch to one of the Panda Ants, which explodes from the impact. Valerie takes minor damage from the Rare Breed's assault as she's charging in, getting struck with Curse in turn; Cyrus is struck by the splash damage from this attack, suffering a gash in his leg in the process. Having anticipated her own ailment, Valerie refrains from attacking to establish her Miasma Armor.

' _Well that sucks. Guess I'll throw out Wilting Miasma next._ ' She watches as the Rare Breed charges at Cyrus, who avoids damage by grabbing one of the creature's horns and flipping onto its back. He delivers two swift stabs to its back before flipping off of it, granting Amy the chance to deliver a punch that ends the creature's life. This small victory is short-lived, for one of the remaining ants flies towards Amy and clamps its jaws down on her arm. The sudden surge of pain is too great when added to the damage she sustained prior, causing her to lose consciousness on the spot. The ant releases Amy and kicks off from her unconscious form, making a direct line for Cyrus. "Chief, look out!" Her warning is too late; Cyrus succumbs to the second bite.

"Valerie, fall to the rear line with Reese! Reese, I need a Drop Shot on the Capra!"

As Valerie heeds Lissa's order and retreats to the back line, she assesses the situation. ' _Toxic Reap will kill those ants, but the delivery is gonna knock me out, too…_ ' Her gaze falls on the unconscious forms of both Cyrus and Amy, to which she follows, ' _Worth it._ ' She disappears from sight, making use of her ability to warp to Cyrus' location to get the drop on the ants. Lissa's eyes go wide at this. "Here's a parting gift!" Her attempts to land poison are successful, though she slumps to the ground once the pain of Curse Recoil surges through her body and wracks her form.

In a last effort to strike before the poison consumes its life, one of the ants flies into the Seekers' formation to bite down on Lissa's shoulder, immediately leaping off to strike Clarisse next. Lissa tightly grips the handle of her shield and slams it to the ground, caving in the dirt and causing a yellow barrier to appear around Clarisse's form. The Panda Ant bounces off of this barrier, causing no harm, and is then sent flying into a tree courtesy of Lissa's counter shot. Only the Cursed Capra remains; it is swiftly dealt with now that it lacks allies. Turning to face Clarisse, Lissa asks, "You alright, Reese?"

"Yeah, Dragon Force kicked in at the best moment; thanks for that." A quick check through the party's supplies reveals that, "We only brought three Nectars…piss. If we encounter a second emergency, we're screwed."

"Let's revive them; we'll leave the decision to press on to Cyrus." After reviving the three fallen members of Seekers, Lissa personally tends to Valerie. As she helps the Harbinger drink a bottle of Medica IV, she says, "That was reckless of you."

"I expected a harsher reaction than that."

"You had your reasons; poison from Toxic Reap is the reason Reese and I got through that." She shakes her head. "I'm more upset that our situation came down to you making a sacrifice like that…thanks, Valerie; it…I appreciate knowing that you'll have my back like that."

Valerie scoffs at this, choosing to poke Lissa in the cheek as she giggles to herself. "You take care of the Chief, so I'll take care of you; family sticks together, you know?"

"Oh, so we're family?"

"Eh, might as well be; the Chief and I will be a couple one day, so I'll be just like the rest of you." She rises to her feet, dusting off her clothes before picking up her scythe. "That sounds good, right?" Lissa nods, but says nothing. Valerie walks over to Amy, a look of concern on her face. "You alright?"

Having just finished wrapping her arm in bandages, Amy frowns as she says, "That little shit bit me…" Valerie snickers at this, albeit unintentionally. In response, Amy lets out a huff.

"To be fair, you did make one of its buddies explode with a single punch; it was probably upset."

"Well now it can be upset in the Seven Hells, because it's dead." Valerie laughs at this.

Clarisse is the one to handle Cyrus' injuries. She has finished dressing the bite marks on his shoulder, as well as the gash in his leg caused by one of the Capra. "I don't know how you do it, Co; a gash like that would have stopped anyone from moving, let alone flipping and fighting."

"Didn't have much choice in the matter, Reese; I've dealt with worse injuries anyway. Sorry for leaving you, Lissa, and Balto with that mess."

"Honestly, that only went as poorly as it did because you didn't have the munchkin or the steppin' prince with you. The best I can do is bind an enemy's legs to screw with their coordination and accuracy."

Stepping over, Valerie says, "Had I triggered my Miasma Armor at the start, we could have dealt with those ants much faster."

Cyrus shakes his head at this. "You were inflicted with Curse as soon as the fight started; there's a good chance you would have succumbed to Curse Recoil in your efforts to poison all three Panda Ants."

"Small price to pay compared to what just happened, don't you think, Chief?" Cyrus falls silent at that, unable to retort but unwilling to agree. She takes a knee and rests a hand on his face. "You make tough choices like that all the time; we're part of this Guild, and share those choices with you." She smiles. "So long as we charge into danger, each of us willingly consents to the possibility of needing to make that choice in place of another. Most days, you make that choice for us…" She places a kiss upon his cheek before rising to her feet. Offering a hand, she follows, "Today, one of us made it for you."

As Cyrus is pulled to his feet, Lissa steps forward. Upon being told that the party is fit to continue, Cyrus nods and gives the order to press forward. The bottom-most path of A1 is the only one left to take; it leads to two different locations. The first is the opening that Cyrus made note of in A6; the second destination is, to the surprise of everyone present, a pillar of light that leads down to the 21st floor. Upon materializing on the floor below, the party is immediately met with a gravity console. With no alternatives, the state of gravity is returned to normal.

Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, Cyrus lets out a sigh. "This is going to take awhile; let's head back and stock up on supplies."

Crossing her arms, Clarisse brings up an important point. "We'll have to start from the 23rd floor again; you good with that?"

"Nothing for it; I'd much rather have Ward Chimes for this." On that note, the party warps out of the Labyrinth; the marketplace is their first stop, for provisions need to be restocked.


	50. Deadly Décor

**Chapter 50: Deadly Décor**

After restocking on supplies at the marketplace, the Seekers immediately return to the Untamed Garden. Reaching their previous stopping point only runs the course of an hour, and though the party encounters a pair of Battering Boars along the way, the Seekers are unable to procure their tusks due to said tusks being completely destroyed in the battle. The gravity console on the 21st floor is used, returning the party to the ground. Cyrus lets out a sigh of relief before giving a few soft rings of a Ward Chime purchased from Syrik. The party is soon faced with three forks in the road; one leads to the west while the other two lead to the east. The bottom-most eastern path is chosen at Valerie's suggestion.

As she observes the surrounding area, Clarisse taps Cyrus on the shoulder. "Hey, Co." When he turns his head to grant her his attention, she follows, "We should prioritize getting to the eastern side of the gravity console." Pointing at the map in his hands, she motions her finger around the circuits that have been charted. "I think it's safe to say we're going to be flying all over this place before long."

"Agreed, but don't you think it would be better to chart the entire path on foot, first?"

"Assuming we don't run into a pit we need to fly across? Yeah, sure." Cyrus' face scrunches up at the mention of a pit; his displeased expression suggests he failed to factor that component of the Stratum into his plan. Clarisse chuckles at this, resting a hand on her hip and using the other to poke Cyrus' nose. "Heh, didn't think about that, did ya?"

He is now blushing, a distinct frown upon his face as he replies, "Quiet, you." He then turns around, not wanting Clarisse to see his face any longer. Heeding his comrade's suggestion, Cyrus directs his team through a loop that leads into B1 on the map. Taking advantage of the wrap effect, the party takes the bottom-left exit out of B1 to make a straight shot to the other side of the gravity console. There is but one problem now that they have arrived. "Do we activate the switch from the right or the bottom?"

Lissa crosses her arms at the question, adopting a contemplative expression in turn. "Lowering the gravity while on the right side grants us three avenues to choose from, whereas activating the console from the bottom forces us to go back the way we came." She pouts at this. "Logic dictates that the option that grants the most follow-ups is the correct one, but that line of thinking has burned us in the past." She looks to Clarisse. "What do you think, girl?"

"I was gonna suggest we activate it from the right side and then head north." Pointing at the map floating beside Cyrus, she follows, "I figured we'd wanna explore the western half of this place since the eastern side is practically finished." She steps over to Balto and crouches down, wrapping her arms around his form. "I'm calling dibs on my puppy, of course."

Valerie's expression immediately shifts to convey fury. "Wait, that's cheating!"

Clarisse giggles in response, nuzzling her cheek against Balto's soft fur. "Deal with it, nerd." Valerie is left flabbergasted at this, unable to make a proper reply. Balto remains silent and straight-faced, but looks to Cyrus with an expression that suggests he desires assistance; Cyrus can only give a short, apologetic bow, to which Balto lets out a soft whine. Amy steps over to Cyrus, pulling him into an embrace as she nuzzles her cheek against his chest. He shrugs at this.

Valerie runs over to Lissa and throws her arms around her comrade. "Lissa, they're being mean to me."

An inadvertent chuckle escapes Lissa, though she is quick to apologize as she holds Valerie closer and strokes her hair. "Poor thing; don't worry, I'll protect you." The gravity console is activated shortly after this exchange, allowing the Seekers to proceed north. In doing so, they reach the top border of the floor and head west. Much to everyone's surprise, the western path they planned to take does not stretch for a considerable distance, instead ending almost as soon as it began. "…Piss! Damn it, this path was supposed to extend into D4 and beyond! We've been duped!" Valerie lifts her head from Lissa's chest to repeat the last word of her statement. Lissa, her fury having yet to subside, follows, "Bamboozled!"

Cyrus adopts a grim expression, following with, "We've been smeckledorfed."

Lissa looks to him and replies, "That's not even a word and I agree with ya."

Balto, looks to his mistress as he says, "We can't go back, either; we have to commit."

Clarisse relays this information to the others, eliciting a loud, aggravated groan from Lissa. "Being an explorer is tough…and apparently traumatizing." Following the only path left available to them, the Seekers find themselves resting in a small corner located at the bottom edge of A2. A treasure chest can be seen floating within the reaches of the expanse beyond. The party presses onward to better observe this expanse from within; "We have a few choices here, too." Taking another look about the area, she can see that the party can float beyond two sets of pits, one leading into a narrow corridor to the east, the other to the south. There is a northern path as well, but where it leads, assuming it doesn't immediately transition into a dead end, is uncertain. "And to think, we still have to take care of the 24th and 25th floor after this."

Despite his gut instinct advising him to act otherwise, Cyrus pushes to the north with his comrades. A sigh escapes him as he realizes that the path does indeed immediately lead into a dead end. Turning around, the party finds itself beset by a trio of enemies – a Bladed Phasmid holds the center, flanked at either side by a Cursed Capra. Since the party is in need of the Capras' horns, Cyrus can only shake his head as he lets go of Amy and draws his sword. Activating Tri-Shield through the combined forces of Clarisse, Lissa, and himself, he says, "The Phasmid falls first." Noticing that Valerie's Miasma Armor has activated on its own, he follows, "Use Toxic Reap."

Valerie kicks off from the tree behind her to fly into the enemy's formation; she performs a spinning slash with her scythe, taking advantage of the wide berth she's been granted to successfully inflict poison on all three targets. Amy charges in behind her, slamming the back of her fist into the Bladed Phasmid's face. Having failed to land a direct punch, the attack does not end the creature's life, leaving the task to Clarisse's arrow. One of the Cursed Capra attempts to trample Cyrus, but misses the mark completely, preserving Tri-Shield for this turn; Amy uses a nearby boulder to gain extra height, managing to avoid the flying debris resulting from the Capra's splash damage.

The second Cursed Capra attempts the same offense, seeking to strike Cyrus while he's busy stabbing the first Capra with his sword. Seeing his oncoming assailant out of the corner of his eye, Cyrus lets out a chuckle. "Too slow." He tosses his sword at a nearby tree and warps to it as it is still in flight, causing the second Capra to miss. The debris launched from this attack successfully strikes Amy, but the damage is negated as a result of Tri-Shield. Upon grabbing hold of his sword, Cyrus spins himself around to throw it at the second Capra, warping to it to sink the blade into its flesh. Valerie and Amy decide to assist him in finishing off the first Capra upon seeing it violently react to poison damage.

For support, Clarisse and Balto injure the legs of the Capra that remains, making it even easier for Cyrus to dodge its next assault. He flips off the corpse of the Capra he and his allies just worked to slay, avoiding the oncoming charge. To counter, he hurls his sword toward the enemy below, warping to it one last time to deliver an axe kick to the pommel, which drives the blade so deep that it pierces through the chin of the final Capra, ending its life as well as the battle. He pulls his blade from the corpse of his fallen foe so that he may wipe it clean and return it to its scabbard. "Damn, Co; what even was that?"

Before giving a proper reply, he performs an aerial pivot as he draws his sword again; this motion allows him to cleanly sever both horns of the Capra that was defeated. "Retribution, you could say." Sheathing his sword once more, he looks to Amy as he follows, "Good use of that boulder, Amy; William would be proud to see such a graceful dodge." Amy blushes at the praise, giggling as she sheepishly scratches at her cheek. "We've procured the Twisted Horn we need; now we just have to acquire the tusks from the Battering Boar."

After checking their weapons and armor, the party departs, making for the southern path that they are now forced to traverse. From here, the party can travel west to explore uncharted territory in A2 and beyond, but they elect to proceed eastward. In doing so, they travel through a short path that loops back into the expanse holding the treasure chest, allowing them to pilfer its contents. Within is a coffin. Amy reaches for it as she says, "Nice, a free weapon for Mum." She is immediately pulled back by Valerie. "Eh? What gives, Val?"

"That coffin will curse you if you touch it." Amy's face shifts to convey a mixture of shock and terror. She looks to the coffin, and then back to Valerie, unable to vocalize a proper reply. Valerie takes hold of the coffin, unaffected by its properties. "So this curse is steeped in darkness; it won't affect me, but…" She looks to Cyrus, who is patiently awaiting the verdict of his apprentice. "I'm not sure how this curse would affect you, Chief; let me carry it."

"Very well, but you'll have to set it aside should we engage any enemies."

She nods to this. "Yeah, wouldn't want my agility hindered by this thing." The hour strikes 3PM as the party finds itself having returned to the gravity console of this floor. Cyrus returns the gravity to its normal level, placing everyone back on the ground. Balto shakes his body and stretches; he lets out a satisfied yawn before stepping over to Valerie and nuzzling his face against her leg. She promptly crouches down and hugs him. "Yeah, it's nice to be on the ground again, isn't it?" Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "We have to explore the rest of this by foot, don't we?"

Looking over the map, he nods. "It certainly seems that way. This will probably take a few hours; I wonder if we'll be able to get the treasure chest on the 22nd floor before nightfall." This endeavor takes three hours of uneventful travel, allowing the party to reach the treasure chest of the 22nd floor shortly after the hour strikes 6PM. Within this chest is 20000 ental, an amount that causes Clarisse to break out in dance. Cyrus chuckles at this. "I can't say I don't share in Reese's enthusiasm." He pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread, triggering its effects as he follows, "Let's head back and rest up; we can look for a Battering Boar after the sun sets."

By the time the party steps into the Twilight Tavern, five whole hours have passed. Mirina can only chuckle at the party's tired and exasperated expressions as they step inside the establishment and make way for the client. The Brouni initially greets the Seekers with a smile, but is soon to switch to showing concern as they all take a seat at the table with him. "You lot look like you've seen better days."

Cyrus rests his head on the table. "The Battering Boars proved to be surprisingly delicate." He presents the Twisted Horn of a Cursed Capra. "This was much easier to obtain by comparison."

The Brouni's eyes light up at the sight of the horn. "Whoa, that's magnificent. The goats up in Yggdrasil are way bigger than the ones down here." Amy then presents a Jagged Tusk, which elicits another surprised reaction from the client. "And this certainly looks powerful. The boar you got this from must have been one heck of a creature." As he accepts the items he asks for, a thought occurs to him. "And you're saying this tusk was hard to get?"

Lissa nods. "For some reason, the boars we were fighting kept damaging their tusks to the point where we couldn't turn one in to you."

"I appreciate you guys going the extra mile; really." He rises from his seat, thanking the Guild for their efforts before departing.

They Seekers sluggishly pick themselves up from their table to step over to the counter where Mirina awaits them. "You guys look terrible. Rough day?"

Resting her head on the counter, Valerie says, "We had the secret area mapped out by 6PM; we even got a Twisted Horn by then." A groan escapes her, prompting Mirina to chuckle as she slides a drink towards the Harbinger. Glancing up, Valerie can see that she has been offered a martini, which she can only smile at before thanking the proprietress. After downing the drink, she follows, "The boar tusk took forever. We were searching on the 23rd floor until 9PM…then we realized we forgot an Ariadne Thread." Mirina visibly cringes at this. "Yeah…we had to walk back to the Geomagnetic Pole."

"I'm just glad you all made it back safely." She then looks to Cyrus, whose expression suggests he is quite ashamed of what has transpired. "It's not like you to be so careless, Cyrus; is something wrong?"

"Nothing that I can think of; I was in a rush since we were moving at a decent clip, and in my haste didn't purchase an extra pair of threads to replace the two we had just used."

Mirina arches an eyebrow at this, questioning him on the supposed "good clip" the party was maintaining. When Clarisse recounts the battle against the Bladed Phasmid and the pair of Cursed Capra, Mirina nods in acknowledgement. "Sounds like you got distracted by your own glow." She giggles, poking him in the nose as she follows, "That happens to everybody at least once; just be glad it didn't cost you this time." She giggles again. "Wish I could have been there to see it; it's not often you get the chance to see the legendary founder of Seekers when he's in the zone."

Clarisse chuckles at this. "I was impressed; I've never seen Co go all out in a situation that didn't involve everyone's lives being on the line." Looking to Mirina, she dons a grin as she asks, "Care to take some of our spoils off our hands before we sell the excess to Syrik?"

"I'll…pass on that. Those horns and tusks would spruce up the bar a bit, but I'm pretty sure I'd be too terrified to walk around after hours." She hands a silver ingot over to Cyrus as she follows, "You've earned this reward; go get some rest."

When the party steps into Jenetta's Inn, Gwenivere stands in waiting, arms crossed and a smile fixed across her lips. She spins the key to the private room around her finger as her gaze falls upon Cyrus and Lissa. "The two of you have some nerve keeping your mistress waiting like this." Lissa raises a finger in objection, only for Gwenivere to intercept any statement that might be made by saying, "Hush, darling; your sincerest apologies will not be needed tonight." Lissa turns to Cyrus, who can only offer a chuckle in response. "I will not ask what took the two of you so long, but regardless of how tired you may be from the venture, we will be conducting our business tonight."

"Cyrus, you didn't tell me this is what I signed up for."

"You had three nights to test run with Gwenivere and you still didn't realize what you were in for?" Gwenivere lets out a sinister giggle at this, catching Cyrus' attention. "What has you so amused, my liege?"

"I was holding back, of course; the training wheels are off tonight, my dear Elizabeth." She steps over to grab hold of Lissa's hand, her loving stare paralyzing her captive; "These next two hours will be fun indeed."

"…two? I don't think I ca-"

"No? Then I suppose your stamina training begins tonight." She pulls Lissa forward as she pivots on her heel and begins walking toward the staircase. "Before you and I can warm up, needs must I get you out of that armor."

Lissa looks back to Cyrus; "Cyrus? Please help; I think something's wrong with Gwen!" Just as Cyrus takes a step forward, Clarisse places a hand on his left shoulder and pulls him back. "What are you doing, Reese?"

"Did you forget? Co still hasn't used his magic to give us the volumes of ' _Crystal Maiden_ ' we require." It is at this moment when Stacy emerges from parts unknown to help Clarisse and Amy hoist Cyrus into the air. "We've been waiting patiently for this moment; surely you can do us this final favor?"

"T- Traitors! Conspirators!" She looks off to the side to see that Fae is approaching the group. "Ah, little Fae; please help us."

Fae is unfortunately too distracted by the imminent arrival of a night of manga reading. She looks to Gwenivere and asks, "Aunt Gwen, may I please stay up late to read manga with everyone?"

Gwenivere's once dark smile converts into something much warmer as she directs her attention to Fae. "I will allow it, sweetie; your behavior has been divine as of late, and your studies are progressing at a wonderful pace." Looking to Amy, she follows, "Mind your aunt; I look forward to hearing a favorable report from her." Fae hops in place as she cheers. She is the first to run upstairs to the resting quarters of the Nomad Guild, which is where this manga reading is set to occur. "Do enjoy your slumber party, ladies. Now, if you'll excuse us." After taking a few steps with Lissa at her side, Gwenivere turns to look at Cyrus; her eyes are closed, and her dark smile has returned as she says, "Be a dear and hurry, love; it simply would not do to be late in retrieving the treats I have prepared for you."

By the time 1AM rolls around, Cyrus parts ways with Lissa and Gwenivere, both of whom are now sleeping off the exhaustion accumulated over the course of their late night gathering. Instead of sleeping in bed with them, he is currently heading downstairs. Upon touching down on the main lobby, he slides to the side to avoid crashing into Jenetta, who appears to be too tired to actually notice him. "Sorry I couldn't be of assistance today, Jenetta; judging from your current state, I surmise that the help would have behooved you."

It takes a moment for Jenetta to realize that Cyrus is actually present; she wipes her eyes and lets out a yawn. "Don't worry about it…I'm used to th-" She is cut off as she loses balance and stumbles backward. Cyrus motions over to catch her, wrapping her right arm around his shoulder. "That was clumsy of me."

"Yeah, you need sleep; you should sleep in tomorrow – I'll cover for you."

The offer suddenly jolts the innkeeper awake. "What? No, no, no, dear guest! I could never allow that!" She separates from him, quickly clapping her hands to her cheeks to wake herself up. She stares him down with reddened cheeks, balling her hands into fists for emphasis. "See? I'm just fine! Besides…" She crosses her arms, frowning at Cyrus as she says, "You should be exhausted too after the night you just had. You went exploring and had to deal with a very energetic Gwenivere; I can barely handle her when she's perfectly calm."

He chuckles at this. "I've been with Gwenivere since before we fell in love; I started adjusting to her pace when I was only 8-years-old." He dons a smirk as he follows, "I'm certainly better acclimated than Lissa." Jenetta snickers at this claim, but does not press the subject.

"Why are you still up, anyway?"

"Checking on you came first; I know what it means to be a workaholic, so I'm just looking out for my kin." Jenetta lets out a huff at this, crossing her arms in defiance. "I also…" His face suddenly shifts to convey uncertainty, though Jenetta is unsure if something is bothering him. "I was going to head down to the basement workshop you let me use after this."

"Oh, really? Are you gonna practice alchemy tonight? Wish I could watch~"

He shakes his head to this. "Perhaps in the morning, but not tonight. I have some thinking to do on how I want to perform as a Fencer going forward."

"Oh, a change in skill focus. I've seen you help Fiona and Fae with that, but I think this is the first time I've seen you go through it yourself."

"I usually have my routes thoroughly planned out, but I made a mistake this time." Seeing Jenetta's expectant expression, he follows, "Phantom Duelists get access to a Skill known as 'Revenge Thrust', which increases in power for each successful evasion accrued before its use." Resting a hand in his pocket, he says, "My gear is so focused on bolstering my evasiveness that my personal damage output is terrible."

"I don't think you need to change anything if you just use a stronger sword. I know the Urumi makes you more nimble, but I think your natural speed will make up for whatever you might lose by dropping it."

"Perhaps you are right, but there is another matter that makes Revenge Thrust a bad choice for me." She tilts her head at this claim, silently asking for an explanation. "When enemy aggression is sufficiently built up, using Lure allows allies in my row to attack the targets I dodged."

"I've been meaning to ask – Is there a limit to how many counter attacks those allies get?" Cyrus shakes his head. "…huh? Seriously?"

"If an enemy – we'll use the Colossal Roper as an example – was to use a multi-target attack that tried to hit me six times, and I managed to dodge each one, the two allies in my row would attack that Roper six times each." Jenetta stares at him blankly for a few seconds before raising a finger. As she opens her mouth to speak, Cyrus preemptively answers her inquiry. "Yes, the Lure attacks can be bolstered by Charge Skills, and yes, Lure attacks can fuel Hell Slash, even if the one performing the Lure attack is the Hell Slash user."

"That's a little crazy. So Amy could use Heavenly Aid and then keep swinging on the next round until the enemy stops moving?" Cyrus nods to her, a soft smile on his face. "You know, dear guest, you're kinda scary when you're that calm about destroying your enemies." She lets out a sigh at the notion, wearing a smile of her own despite her statement. "But I think I get it now; you wanna go all in with Lure since you could get more out of it than Revenge Thrust."

"Indeed. Granted, there's no reason I can't use Revenge Thrust as clean-up on the off-chance the enemy doesn't succumb to the bait, but I'm not expecting that many survivors." He shrugs. "Perhaps the Boss of the eventual 6th Stratum, but there's no guarantee I'll be in the active party for that setup."

"Really? I'd think it's the sort of fight you need to be present for."

"It's unclear as of now, I'm afraid; we'll have to wait and see." He uses dark magic to conjure his replacement left arm before stepping over to take Jenetta into his arms. "Now, we should get you to bed."

"Dear guest, I can walk to my room on my own."

"Something tells me that you'll hurt yourself if I take you at your word."

"That's ridiculous!" She glares at him for a few moments before letting out a huff. She nestles in his arms, making herself comfortable before saying, "Just this once; this isn't gonna be a regular thing, OK?" Cyrus gives no verbal reply, offering only a chuckle before carrying his host to her room and tucking her into bed.

Stepping out of Jenetta's room, he takes a moment to let out a long but silent yawn. ' _Maybe I should just go to bed; Valerie did say she wanted to help me rethink my focus._ ' As his mind weighs the pros and cons of neglecting to enlist Valerie's assistance, the woman in question approaches him after having rounded a corner. "Good evening, apprentice; I expected you to be asleep by now." She dons a smirk at this before chuckling. She then motions to sweep Cyrus off his feet, taking him into her arms. "Is something amiss?"

"No, not really; I just feel like carrying you to bed for once." She nuzzles her cheek against his, giggling to herself. "It's been a long day for both of us, but you especially." Her smirk returns as she asks, "You were just about to sneak off somewhere to do more planning for the Guild, weren't you?" Cyrus remains silent, unable to keep himself from blushing before outright turning his head away. Valerie lets out a short laugh in response. "I know you pretty well by now, Chief; you can't hide that from me. I'll help you with that in the morning; let's sleep for now, OK?"

"Considering I'm your captive at the moment, I don't exactly have a choice, right?"

"I'm glad we reached a swift understanding." She places a fleeting kiss upon his cheek before departing to their room.


	51. With the Sounds of a Cauldron

**Chapter 51: With the Sounds of a Cauldron**

The following morning arrives exceptionally early for both Cyrus and Valerie. The pair stands within the empty dining hall at 5 in the morning; three plates sit upon the table as the duo discards their cooking aprons. Valerie removes her white bandana, wrapping it around her left arm; as she takes a seat beside Cyrus, she can hear the approaching footsteps of another. These footsteps belong to Jenetta, who has risen from her own slumber to get started on her duties. The pair stops her, mentioning that they've prepared breakfast just for her. She takes a seat, looking at the simple but filling platter before her. Three buttermilk pancakes, each one divided into four separate pieces, dominate the left half of the plate; two golden hash browns occupy the top-right portion of the plate; the remainder is filled with a collective of scrambled eggs.

Though once plagued with exhaustion, the scent of the meal before Jenetta is enough to energize her spirit and bring a smile to her face. "Now this looks delicious~" She grabs hold of the bottle of maple syrup provided for her; as she applies a modest amount on her food, she says, "You two didn't have to get up so early to do this, really…but thank you."

"It was no problem, Jenetta; the Chief and I needed to get up early anyway; we've got work to do." Seeing Jenetta's expectant expression, she continues, "There is alchemy to be done." She then lets out a haughty chuckle, donning a grin as she says, "I haven't helped him with lab work in forever."

"Are you making something specific?"

"I seek to make an item that will allow me to maintain my replacement left arm, without needing to tax Valerie or rely on the Fetid Necropolis."

"Does an item like that exist?"

He shrugs. "We'll find out after some experimentation, I surmise." Jenetta adopts a dubious expression upon hearing this, eliciting a chuckle from Cyrus. "Being an Alchemist means trying new things; not every recipe is a simple one. Often must we think outside the box to devise new creations."

"I guess that's true; it's just like cooking~ I hope everything goes well; let me know if you need any help, alright?"

The two voice their assent to this before the rest of breakfast is consumed in silence. Cyrus and Valerie make way for the basement workshop. Though the décor is comparable to the rest of Jenetta's Inn, with wooden flooring, polished counters, and scented vines strategically placed about, the atmosphere is quite different. As expected of a lab, the scent of this area is sterile, lacking the homely presence the rest of the inn boasts. Bookshelves are lined from corner to corner with reference material, all of which is curiously free of dust. A black cauldron rests off to the side of a counter and an unoccupied storage unit; the cauldron sits within a kiln, and is presumably pre-heated if one were to judge its lightly bubbling contents. Before making way to this, Cyrus and Valerie retrieve and don lab coats, latex gloves, and safety goggles.

To prep their station, Valerie searches the nearby cupboards for equipment. She procures a few vial racks, along with an assortment of vials to use in conjunction with these racks. She also retrieves as many round-bottom Florence Flasks as she can, with Cyrus assisting her. 18 are gathered in total, being divided into three groups of six that are set aside for future use. Curiously, Cyrus has also brought in several rolls of short-stretch bandages, all of which are white in color. A few samples of Cecidium are present, as well as two large bottles, each one containing a liter of some sort of oil.

Seeing Cyrus place the two bottles on the counter beside the cauldron, Valerie asks, "We're making Blue Neutralizer first?"

"Correct; we can't make the healing bandages without it." He looks around, though for what Valerie is not immediately certain. "Now where did I put the distilled water…" His search does not take long; he soon returns to the cauldron with a bottle containing a liter of clear water. With a snap of his fingers, he adjusts the flame burning beneath the cauldron; a few minutes pass before the light bubbling ceases altogether. Steam rises from the cauldron, being slightly warm to the touch. Cyrus nods to this, smiling as he says, "Temperature's good; let's begin." To start, he pours half of the contents of the distilled water into the center of the cauldron.

Valerie steps over and pours the contents of an oil bottle into the cauldron, motioning her hand in such a way that the oil forms a ring around the center where Cyrus poured the water. The two allow the solution to settle for a few minutes before Valerie takes up a staff with a jewel resting at its top. The jewel's interior is akin to a rainbow swirling amongst the stars. Valerie begins mixing the cauldron with this staff while Cyrus slowly increases the temperature. Reaching into a pouch at her mentor's side, Valerie pulls out a rather large crystal in the shape of an intricate snowflake. Various small details become more apparent as the light of the workshop hits the crystal at different angles. "This one is really well made; almost a waste to use it as a catalyst."

With a shrug, she gently places the crystal into the cauldron, which causes it to emit a bright blue shine. Cyrus submerges a third of the Florence Flasks into the cauldron; when they are removed, all six are filled with a deep blue substance. "Excellent, another successful synthesis." He takes a moment to look over the results of their work. "These are pretty good, too. Time for the next step. Valerie?"

"I'm on it." To begin the next step, she places two rolls of the short-stretch bandages into the cauldron's center. Cyrus follows up by pouring two flasks of the newly made blue neutralizer into the cauldron in turn. One flask is poured directly into the center with the bandages; the other is poured around their location in a circular pattern. After letting the contents sit for five minutes, Valerie reaches into the cauldron using a long pair of tongs to remove one roll of bandages; the roll has taken on the color of the neutralizer, to which she nods before placing it back into the cauldron. "The properties were thoroughly absorbed; I'll add the Cecidium." After this is done, Cyrus brings the cauldron's temperature to a boil before mixing it.

The temperature is brought back down once the mixing is complete; the two then let the mixture sit for ten minutes. Grabbing hold of the tongs Valerie used, Cyrus says, "That should do it." Reaching into the cauldron, he pulls out a single roll of short-stretch bandages, one whose volume suggests that the two base rolls used in the synthesis merged together. Despite previously being blue, the final product is a pristine white, practically glowing in its visage. A pleasant floral scent emits from the roll of bandages, soothing both alchemists as they sigh contently. "Perfect." He sets the roll aside to go search for the next set of ingredients he and Valerie will need. It is not long before his face adopts a frown. "That's a bit troublesome."

"What's the damage, Chief?"

"We must make haste to Syrik; needs must we purchase some gems."

She scratches at her cheek as she asks, "Can't we just warp home real quick and take some from your inventory? It's not like you're suffering a shortage."

"That would be cheating."

"Cheating? You…you what, mate?" Cyrus grabs hold of her hand and hastily rushes for the exit of the workshop without giving a proper answer. "Chief, wait!" When the two return to the workshop with the gems in tow, she lets out a sigh. "You could have at least let me setup the aether extractor; aren't we gonna need to use it since Amethyst contains darkness and lightning?" She looks ahead to see that Fae is sitting on a chair, lightly kicking her feet as she hums a tune to herself. A raven sits upon the child's shoulder, harmonizing alongside her. "Good morning, Fae…to you as well, Lady Gwenivere."

"Hi, Princess." She points to the raven on her shoulder as she asks, "How did you know this was Aunt Gwen?"

"I've known her long enough." Looking to the raven, she asks, "Why are you perched on her shoulder anyway?"

"My legs are worn out from the previous evening, and will need a few more hours before they've properly recovered." Glancing at Cyrus, she follows, "Elizabeth is in a similar condition, so I advise you to let her rest."

"You didn't goad her into a morning round when you woke up, did you?"

"Were her condition better I might have, but alas, no." She lets out a huff. "Honestly, it's a wonder I'm even out of bed right now. I do so detest the early morning."

Using her pinky to rub Gwenivere's neck, Fae giggles before saying, "You need to get proper rest after exercising, Aunt Gwen; Clarisse and Fi-Fi both said so."

"A slight miscalculation on my part, sweetie; your uncle there made me push myself a bit more than I intended to."

"Eh? Hold a moment, Milady; surely you're not pinning the blame on me? Why, it was yo-"

"I never said being pushed was a bad thing, darling; our evening was most fun."

Knowing the mischievous look Valerie is giving him, Cyrus doesn't even bother to look her way as he says, "Valerie, don't look at me like that."

"I take it Milady made a request?" She chuckles. "You certainly do a thorough job, don't you?"

He sighs in response to this. "Let's resume our work."

"Uncle, what are you two doing?"

Before giving a proper answer, he steps over and places the bag of purchased gems onto the counter. "Synthesizing, little one; I'm attempting to use alchemy to create an item I can make use of." Fae places a finger to her chin and dons an inquisitive expression. "Do you know what alchemy is, Fae?"

She nods to him. "Uh huh, but I've never seen an Alchemist work before. So you can make anything, right?"

He chuckles at this. "I wouldn't go that far; I'm still learning, even now."

Her eyes sparkle. "Ooh! Do you have a specialty?" He nods to her. "Really? What is it? Ca- May I see it, please?"

Cyrus chuckles at her enthusiasm. "I don't have the materials to make it right now, but I can describe it in the meantime; would that be alright?" Fae gives an emphatic nod. "The item in question is modeled after one of my favorite ice spells: Polar Field. Once used, it causes a flash freeze over the immediate area, hampering the mobility, offense, and defense of the afflicted on top of making said afflicted more susceptible to ice damage."

"That sounds really dangerous…how do you stop it from hurting your friends?"

"A good question, little one. I can cast the spell version without worry because of the resonance spell, but the item…knows nothing of allegiance; it'll even affect me if I'm caught in its area of effect." He smirks. "I get around this by condensing the blast radius."

"Hm…if you do that, doesn't that make the bomb more potent?" Cyrus pats her on the head, praising the child for her accurate deductions. She giggles in turn.

"Precisely. By condensing the item's explosion radius, the effects that it naturally applies are strengthened. Through this, we get the Frost Point, my specialty as an Alchemist; I'll have to show it off in person one day."

Looking over the gems on the counter, Fae says, "Wow, these are really pretty." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Are these for Fi-Fi's birthday tomorrow?"

Picking up one of the cuts of amethyst, Cyrus dons a smile as he says, "I have a different gift in mind for Fiona; these gems will be used in the creation of some neutralizers we need. But before that, I must energize them." Fae tilts her head at this. Cyrus holds the gem up before his left eye; though it appears that he's simply staring at the gem, this is soon revealed to be but a part of the process. The amethyst emits a single purple shimmer every few seconds, each one increasing in its intensity. When this process is complete, Cyrus crouches down to show Fae that the interior of the gem is now filled with liquid.

"Wait, what? How did you do that?"

"The Runic Eye is capable of amplifying the aether within crystals. Though aether is regarded as something magical, it has as much of a physical presence as we do, and thus its physical state can be altered. In the case of amethyst, the lightning and darkness within are switched from being solid to liquid. The liquid is what Valerie and I require for our upcoming synthesis."

"How are you gonna get it out?" Her eyes widen as she places her fists to her chest. "You're not gonna break it, are you?! That'd be a waste!"

Valerie snickers at this. "Oh, that's a good one; the Chief could never do something like that." She walks over to one of the unoccupied workstations to setup equipment; something akin to a filtration system is the end result. "We will have to cut open the gem, but it need not be destroyed entirely." She pulls a thin rod from a drawer before holding out her left hand behind her. "Chief, if you would." He hands over the cut of amethyst, prompting Valerie to imbue the rod in her hand with fire magic; once it is at a sufficient temperature, she carefully stabs it into the center of the gem. She then holds the newly created opening above the filtration system, allowing the liquid contents to pour in.

To Fae's surprise, the liquid that flows out of the gem is gray instead of purple. This quickly changes, however, as the filtration system divides the liquid into two separate conical flasks. The left flask is filled with a purple liquid while the right flask is filled with a yellow liquid. "Wow, Aunt Gwen, did you see that?" When she receives no response, Fae looks to the side to find that Gwenivere isn't awake anymore. "Aunt Gwen?"

"Best to let her sleep, little one; Milady is not a morning person." He grabs another cut of amethyst and holds it before his left eye to charge it. "Hold a moment, Valerie; we'll need to extract far more than that pittance to make purple neutralizer." The extraction process is repeated until the conical flask holding the purple liquid is filled to an acceptable threshold; the pair runs through seven of the ten cuts of amethyst they purchased, a notion that brings a frown to Valerie's face. The conical flask containing the lightning extract is sealed and then set off to the side. Grabbing hold of the flask holding the darkness extract, Cyrus says, "You grab the water, Valerie."

Fae is provided with a stepping stool so that she may watch the duo pour and mix the distilled water and extract into the cauldron. She expresses confusion when Valerie starts placing empty Florence Flasks into the bubbling cauldron, but asks no questions. The flasks are removed, now filled with a purple substance sporting a deeper hue than what was poured into the cauldron. The aether extraction process is repeated with the cuts of zircon the duo purchased, although they have to use fewer units since the liquid within does not need to be divided in twain. "What makes the white gem different?"

Valerie answers, "Zircon only hosts aether for Light Magic." As she pours the contents of the pierced gem into the flask, she follows, "In Erdboden, priests often wear accessories made from this to make their healing spells stronger." With the flask sufficiently full, she grabs hold of the beaker and makes way for the cauldron; the mixing process for the next batch of neutralizer is identical to the previous two, but yields a batch of six flasks containing a milky white substance that emits a faint shimmer. Studying this shimmer more closely, Valerie dons a surprised expression. "Those cuts of Zircon were better than I thought; White Neutralizer doesn't usually glow like this."

"The prep work is complete."

"So what recipe are we trying to modify?"

"We're going to convert the healing bandages into…sealing bandages." Valerie gives a blank stare in reply. "You come up with a better name, Valerie." She shrugs at this before setting the batch of white neutralizer beside the other two batches she and Cyrus made. Cyrus takes another sample of Cecidium and places it into the cauldron; after letting this sit for a minute, the cauldron glows. "The catalyst is set; let's begin."

Fae watches as a giant roll of short-stretch bandages is placed into the center of the cauldron. Cyrus and Valerie each take a flask of neutralizer and return to the cauldron. In Cyrus' hand is a flask containing purple neutralizer; Valerie holds a flask containing white neutralizer in turn. The two hold their flasks at opposing ends of where the bandages were placed, Valerie to the north, Cyrus to the south. In unison, they pour the contents of their flasks with a clockwise motion, stopping as they meet at the opposite's starting point. The remaining contents of the flasks they wield are poured into the cauldron's center before the mixing begins.

Valerie stirs the mixture clockwise until a white shine emits from the cauldron; Cyrus then takes over, stirring counterclockwise until an ebon glow emits from the cauldron in turn. From here, the solution is left to sit for 15 minutes, during which time the trio that remains awake enjoys a moment of respite. All three have chosen to drink orange juice, and discuss the volumes of " _Crystal Maiden_ " Fae read with the others the previous evening. The synthesis announces its completion with the emission of a gray glow, which prompts Cyrus to step over and remove the roll of bandages. To Fae's surprise, the roll retains its pristine white color.

Looking up to Cyrus, Fae asks, "So why are these called 'Sealing Bandages'?"

"I'll show you…assuming they work, that is." The bandages are placed on the counter in front of him; he then grabs hold of what remains of his left arm and channels aether into it, conjuring forth a replacement via dark magic. The arm is notably unstable, appearing in a state of flux as it flickers in and out of existence. "This is quite difficult to maintain during the day; its stability is far more consistent at night." He grabs hold of the bandages and begins to unravel the roll. At this point, the roll hovers out of his grip, unraveling itself before automatically wrapping around his left arm. As the arm of darkness is engulfed by the bandages, its stability becomes more pronounced, with its flicker eventually ceasing altogether so that it remains visible.

The arm is soon covered in its entirety, at which point the sealing bandages emit a brief, understated white glow, as if exhaling. Fae tilts her head as she confusedly asks, "D- Did it work?"

Cyrus gives a few test motions with his arm; he retains all functions, feeling no semblance of restriction or damage from the light magic contained within the bandages. "It would appear so, little one." He turns to Valerie with a smile on his face. "Your assistance is appreciated as ever, Valerie."

She rests her hands on her hips as a haughty chuckle escapes her. "Don't I know it?" She drops the smug expression, if only for a moment, to grant Cyrus the chance to see a genuine smile. "Glad it worked out, Chief. What's next?"

"Now I need to rethink my focus as a Fencer; having my left arm back helps a lot with my dexterity and flexibility."

"I did say I'd help you with that; we got time if you wanna sit down now." She looks down to her left to find that Fae is tugging at the hem of her skirt. "What's up, munchkin?"

"Can we go out for a walk while you do this? I wanna play with Balto." When the two nod to her, she smiles and runs off to find the Hound in question while they clean up the workshop. He is currently upstairs, having just finished breakfast alongside Clarisse. Stepping over to Balto, she crouches down and hugs him. "Hi Balto, do you wanna go out on a walk with me?" She can see that his tail is wagging; he stares into her eyes and gives a single affirmative bark, to which the child smiles.

"Now hold on, munchkin; you're not going out this early by yourself."

"Uncle and the Princess are coming with us, though…you should come too, Clarisse!"

' _I wanna read more 'Crystal Maiden', though._ ' She looks to Balto, whose silent gaze suggests that he, too, wishes for her to tag along. "Balto, you know it's not fair to look at me like that." His silent stare persists, causing his mistress to let out a groan of frustration. "Fine. I spoil this damn puppy, I swear." Seeing the sleeping raven perched on Fae's shoulder, Clarisse tilts her head as she asks, "Is that BB?"

"Uh huh, but she's asleep right now." She shrugs with her free shoulder as she follows, "Something about getting too much exercise last night and not being a morning person."

Clarisse snickers at this. "Yeah, I bet." Looking to the staircase leading upstairs, she says, "Lissa's in the same boat; she finished breakfast and then went right back up to her room." Cyrus and Valerie step into view, prompting Clarisse to don a catty grin. "She said her legs hurt from last night; I wonder why…" Directing this grin at Cyrus, she says, "I guess you really do take care of your people, eh?"

"I'm gonna pretend I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh, I bet you will…what's with the bandages?" After a brief explanation of this morning's alchemic endeavor, Clarisse nods in understanding. "Huh, I didn't think you'd keep up the alchemy training after your time in Etria; Lissa told me you didn't do much of any synthesizing while you were in Armoroad."

"I suppose I never told you, but I was an Alchemist long before I founded the Guild." Clarisse dons a surprised countenance at this, as does Fae. "Master Annora taught me the ways of alchemy before she became my magic instructor. I took up Alchemy to help my dad keep up his medicine stock."

Adopting a contemplative stance, Clarisse replies, "Yeah, I can see that. Casting light magic is basically a death sentence for you, so that would be the only way for you to help out." She steps over and locks her right arm into Cyrus' left. Valerie wordlessly takes the right. "Let's get to that walk then, yeah?"

He isn't given an opportunity to voice his assent, instead being immediately escorted out the front door of the inn. Once outside, the group makes way to the nearby park. Another protest concerning Corona Mayberry is underway, but this is ignored. Fae and Balto take to running around and playing with a plastic flying disc; curiously, Gwenivere remains asleep on Fae's shoulder, seemingly undisturbed by the action going on around her. No one comments on this. Cyrus is sat down on a nearby bench from where the three can observe the playing duo in peace.

"Alright, Chief; how are we gonna start this? Every skill respec has to start with a framework."

Expressing confusion, Clarisse asks, "Wait, Co is changing his focus? Why? You kicked hella ass yesterday, or did you forget?"

"I hadn't been performing adequately until that point, Clarisse." Gesturing with his left hand, he says, "You know I've never used Revenge Thrust in combat, right?"

"…I thought you were saving it for FOEs and Stratum Bosses." He shakes his head to her. "Huh, well shit. So what's your plan?"

"In addition to dropping Revenge Thrust, I was considering the act of abandoning Deft Thrust as well. This would eliminate any need to run Optic Thrust in turn." Clarisse pokes his nose, immediately dismissing this course as being out of the question. "Reese, I understand your fondness of watching me stab our enemies, but th-"

"Don't hit me with your weird labels, you clown. You can't drop Deft Thrust; what the Hell are you gonna use in Random Encounters?" As Cyrus motions to speak, Clarisse preemptively counters his anticipated claim. "There's no guarantee the enemies will target you over the rest of us; you need Lissa's Dragon Roar for that. Even though you almost always open with Phantom Swords, Deft Thrust is still good for controlling aggression."

Valerie chuckles. "You didn't need me for this after all; Clarisse has it covered." She places her chin in her hand to think on the matter. "Since you're dropping Revenge Thrust, you could invest a little more into Phantom Swords and Lure; I think there would be enough room for one more Skill…ooh! How about perfecting Sylphid?!"

Clarisse's expression lights up at this. "Hey, yeah, that's a good idea!" Pointing at Cyrus, she follows, "You could improve on the badassery you demonstrated yesterday."

"Reese, Buttercup, are you sure you don't get some sort of thrill out of me stabbing ou-"

She claps her hands to his cheeks to render the act of speaking impossible. "Stop suggesting that! And don't call me 'Buttercup', dammit!" The blush on her cheeks does not disappear as she lets out a huff and puffs out a cheek. "If you must know…what I get a thrill out of is watching you be all nimble." She lets a brief second of silence pass to gauge his reaction, groaning when he doesn't provide one. "You…" she sighs, "You look good when you have that look of focus on your face; you look even better when you're enjoying yourself in the middle of a fight. I wanna see you like that more often, Co."

"I see." He chuckles. "I very well can't refuse you after an explanation like that, now can I, Buttercup?"

"Alright, that's it; you're dead." She rises from her seat and forcibly pulls Cyrus from his. "Hey, Munchkin, Balto! We're heading back to the inn to get some training gear; let's go!"

Cyrus tilts his head at the notion. When the duo returns, he asks, "Why the sudden need to train?" Clarisse turns to him, a sinister gleam in her eyes and a devious grin on her face. ' _Mistakes were made._ '

"Oh, you'll see, Co." She leads the trek back to Jenetta's Inn, practically dragging Cyrus every step of the way. She leaves everyone outside as she steps within, soon returning armed with two practice bows and two quivers filled to the brim with non-lethal sticky arrows. She hands a bow and quiver off to Fae. "Alright, Munchkin; it's you and me against Co." She smiles sweetly, though the malicious intent behind her pleasant visage is not lost on Fae. "We're gonna get him real good."

Looking to Cyrus, Fae adopts a disinterested expression as she asks, "Uncle, what did you do this time?"

"Reese keeps maintaining the false stance that she doesn't like 'Buttercup' as a nickname."

"Chief, maybe you should only call her that in private."

"Don't give him any ideas, Princess! He needs to drop it completely!"

Valerie sighs at this before stepping over to Fae. She gently picks up Gwenivere's sleeping form and places her upon her own shoulder. "Do your best, Fae; the Chief won't be an easy target to hit, but I know you can do it."

"H- Huh? What? I don't wanna shoot Uncle Cyrus!"

Clarisse crouches down to meet the child at eye level. "Your uncle will treat us to an all-you-can-eat buffet at the Twilight Tavern if we can land enough hits on him."

"I'm going to do what now?" A sudden and intense aura claims hold over the area, prompting everyone except Fae to look around for its source. Gwenivere awakens from her slumber to check as well, her gaze soon falling on Fae. ' _I know this aura._ ' Cyrus directs his attention to Fae in turn, seeing that the once invisible aura surrounding her is now a ruby shade of crimson. ' _Ah bloody Hell, not again._ ' Clarisse's catty grin has returned, which elicits a groan from Cyrus. "This is playing dirty, Reese."

"You brought this upon yourself, Co; ain't that right, Munchkin?"

Fae takes up her bow, prepping a single arrow. Despite the aura surrounding her, the child's voice retains its usual cute tone as she says, "Uncle Cyrus, for the sake of my ambition, please let me usher in your destined annihilation~"

Balto looks up to Cyrus and says, "I suggest you start moving, and quickly." He then retreats to Valerie's side, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire to come.


	52. Return to Form

**Chapter 52: Return to Form**

Several hours pass while the group indulges in a buffet. Cyrus currently carries the sleeping form of Fae in his arms; he elected to escort the child home after she finished eating, leaving the others to continue without them. The lass wears a content smile, and occasionally rubs her stomach in her sleep. She does so at this very moment, exhaling a sigh in turn. As he approaches the front door of Jenetta's Inn, Cyrus thinks to himself, ' _All things considered, that was good training._ ' He looks up to the sky above to gauge the time; ' _I should consider buying a watch…it should be close to 4PM, so I have time to forge that weapon._ ' Stepping into the inn, he is greeted by Lissa, who wears a warm smile as she silently looks upon him. "Afternoon, love; how are you feeling?"

"My legs are feeling better." She sighs, resting a hand on her hip. "Honestly, between the head on your shoulders and Gwenivere's magic fingers, I don't think I'm going to survive this marriage."

"You're a strong woman; you'll be fine."

She laughs at this. "You're just saying th-" It is at this moment she takes notice of Cyrus' left arm. Pointing at it, she asks, "What's that about?" He explains the endeavor he and Valerie undertook this morning; "So you can keep your arm now?" He nods to her, which brings a joyous smile to Lissa's face. She steps over to place a kiss on his lips, giggling as she pulls away from him. "That's wonderful to hear, Cyrus; I'm happy for you."

"Do you think you'll be up for exploring tonight? I wish to get started on the 24th floor." She nods to him, to which he replies by offering Fae. As Lissa takes the child into her arms he follows, "Thanks. That puts my spirit at ease."

Tilting her head, Lissa asks, "Were you worried about something?"

"Just the usual. It's a new floor, so I feel comfortable with you at my side." She blushes at this, eliciting a chuckle from Cyrus. "I praise you like this in front of the others all the time; why the sudden embarrassment?"

"I- I don't know; it's just something about the way you said it." She glances down at Fae, who is currently busy nestling in her grip. "So why'd you pass the little one over to me, exactly?"

"We won't explore until nightfall; I need to make a run to the marketplace to make a purchase. This will take a few hours."

She shades her eyes at him. "You're forging this purchase too, aren't you?" His reply is an awkward chuckle. "Figures. Try not to overwork yourself; I won't let you go into Yggdrasil if I suspect you're lacking."

"Yeah, don't I know it." He steps away from Lissa to make his way upstairs; when he returns, there is a large sack slung over his right shoulder, one that is presumably filled with ental. Though he knows what Lissa intends to ask through her shocked countenance alone, he says nothing. He approaches the door, but before opening it, he looks back to her. "I won't be gone long, love."

"Just how much are you buying?" She takes a moment to think on it, trying to recall where and when this sort of scenario occurred in the past. "You're buying an ultimate weapon, aren't you?" He dons a grin; "Whose is it?" When Cyrus claims that such information is a secret, she frowns at him. Before she can think of a way to reprimand him, Diana steps into view. "Oh, hey there, Mum."

"Good day, Lissa." She looks to Cyrus and offers a similar greeting, only to stop short of finishing as she takes notice of his left arm. Grabbing hold of it, Diana stares in disbelief before looking Cyrus in the eyes instead. "Cyrus…what might this be?"

He grants her a wide smile. "I planned on surprising you, but I synthesized a new item that both stabilizes and maintains my left arm, even in this world."

"How is this achieved?"

"I used Cecidium as the base for the healing bandages; the item is used in the creation of Hamao, so it acts as a gradual energy restorative. Purple and white neutralizers were combined to establish balance; the purple keeps the darkness supplied and stable while the white keeps that darkness from slipping out and immediately dissipating." Diana releases his arm, taking a step back to look over his form. "I suppose this won't really change much in the grand scheme of things back home, but I'll be able to take better care of you and Valeska again."

Diana smiles at this before stepping over and wrapping her arms around him. "You should let me take care of you for a change…but thank you, son. You've regained another lost piece of yourself; I'm glad." She pulls away and places a kiss upon his forehead, causing him to blush and eliciting a snicker from Lissa. "You're ascending Yggdrasil tonight, yes? I would like to join the party."

"Sure. The party setup I have in mind is sound." He opens the door, taking a single step outside. "I'll be back in a few hours, so you still have time to make preparations." She nods to him, wishing him a safe trip. Cyrus then departs, passing Clarisse and the others by along the way.

As they step into the inn, Clarisse takes note of Diana's pleased expression. "Hm, what has you in such a good mood, Spirit Mama?"

"I got to see my son's smiling face again."

"The Chief was smiling? What about?"

"I'm not certain, now that I think on it. I had assumed it was the act of having reclaimed his left arm in this world, but perhaps it instead has to do with the large bag of ental that was slung over his shoulder."

Valerie shrugs at this. "He's probably buying Fiona's birthday gift." She takes a few steps farther inside, thinking on how next to proceed with the free time she has suddenly obtained. "Anybody up for reading some ' _Crystal Maiden_ ' with me?" Fae instantly jolts awake, raising her hand and cheerily proclaiming her desire to join, to which Valerie chuckles upon seeing Lissa's startled countenance. She assembles a reading group to pass the next few hours with; the group remains downstairs to read its material, rather than congregating to a room upstairs. By the time Cyrus returns, the group is mere moments away from starting Volume 11. Without looking to greet him, Valerie says, "Welcome home, Chief; we're about to start the Siege of Castle Gokuhara."

"Ooh, you lot are starting Volume 11? Hm…perhaps I should join soon." He quickly shakes his head, trying to remain on task. "Before that, Valerie, I need to you at my side for a moment." She warps to his side without bothering to face him, figuring he needs her for another presentation. Her assumption proves true as he removes a scythe from his back and hands it to her. "Hold this, please."

Valerie takes the scythe in hand, thinking nothing of it until she actually takes a moment to study its features. The weapon in her grip has been fully forged, and emanates a faint trace of power contained within. The purple snaith of this scythe sports a reflective polish; a single handle extends from the middle, where the snaith has been bent to boast a curve. At the top of this snaith is a spherical cut of amethyst with liquid resting within; ' _That would explain why my dark magic feels stronger all of a sudden; he probably energized the crystal, too._ ' Instead of transitioning into a skull ejecting a blade from its mouth, as the case was with Solor's scythe, this weapon's snaith transitions into a depiction of a woman clad in a flowing nightgown gently holding onto a cradle. The "cradle" is the curved black blade of this scythe. ' _This is a damn good scythe. Wait._ '

She looks to Cyrus, who has called for the attention of everyone on this floor, including the members of Aria's Guild, Freeblade, the Nomads, Jenetta, and the Seekers who had joined Valerie's reading group. The man drops to one knee as he holds his arms out to present Valerie before the onlookers. Her face turns red as she instinctively assumes a reserved and timid stance, hiding behind the new scythe in her grip. "Behold! My beauteous and most wondrous apprentice has attained a weapon befitting both her grace and strength!"

Valerie's voice is notably flustered as she glances at him. "Ch- Chief! What the Hell are you doing? This is embarrassing!"

"I have bequeathed unto her the pinnacle in scythe craftsmanship that Iorys has to offer! With the help of Syrik, the Seekers' ever trusted item supplier, Valerie now wields the Cradle Edge."

Valerie's blush disappears. "OK, that name is actually pretty cool." She sighs before striking a more dynamic pose, showing off both her dexterity as well as how the scythe's design makes its use seamless. Letting out a whistle, Valerie says, "Damn, that felt pretty good, too; you two outdid yourselves with this one." She secures the weapon to her back and helps Cyrus to his feet. After placing a kiss on his cheek, she backs away and smiles at him. "Thank you, Chief; I'll be sure to kick enough ass for the both of us." He nods to her before the others give a round of applause. ' _Guys, it's not like I just accepted a marriage proposal._ ' She sighs. "Even Lady Mayrune would be impressed with this."

"You honor me, truly." He looks to the right to find that Evelyn is standing in front of him. Her eyes are focused on his left arm, a notion almost immediately confirmed by her gently grabbing hold of it and raising it to get a better look. "I suppose now is as good of an opportunity as any." He then explains to everyone present the endeavor he and Valerie undertook this morning, as well as the results. ' _I was lucky that Prince Ramus and the Guildmaster were at the marketplace today; I think I've explained this to everyone now, save for the remaining members of my Guild._ '

Pressing her hands together, Amy says, "Now you can practice archery again." When Lissa presents a look of confusion, she follows, "Hm? Did nii-chan never tell you he can use a bow? He was trained pretty early on, too."

Lissa looks to Cyrus for confirmation, but receives it from Gwenivere instead. "What she says is true. My cousin Annabelle desired a practice partner, someone with whom she could establish a rivalry." Giving a dismissive wave, she follows, "The bow and I do not mix well, but Cyrus took a swift enough shine to the craft." Looking to the man in question, her countenance reflects concern; "You are out of practice now, darling; you haven't taken up your bow since you…"

He nods to this. "Yeah, three whole years. While I plan to incorporate my practice sessions again, I certainly won't be enlisting as an archer in our Guild any time soon." He then directs a grin at Clarisse. "That aside, I'm fairly certain Reese wouldn't take too kindly to Balto taking orders from me."

Crouching down to hug Balto close, Clarisse directs a strong glare in Cyrus' direction. "You can't have my puppy, Co; no one can."

"Mistress, this is embarrassing."

Nuzzling her cheek to his fur, she immediately dismisses his remark. "Hush now; we'll be together forever. That's what I promised." Glancing back up to Cyrus, she asks, "Lissa and Spirit Mama said you're heading into the Labyrinth tonight; I'm going with you."

A smile forms on Cyrus' face as he nods in approval. "I was hoping that would be the case." Looking to Valerie, he follows, "Are up for joining us, Valerie? We have room for one more." She nods to this. "Excellent. We can all set out after I get changed." He changes into his Masurao gear before departing with Lissa, Valerie, Clarisse, and Diana accompanying him. As the group walks to the great tree, a crisp evening breeze passes through, carrying with it the pleasant scent of the floral garlands decorating the banisters of the nearby bridges. "This is a beautiful city." Looking to Diana, he dons a look of concern as he asks, "Hey, Master?" When she looks to him, he follows, "Are you going to be alright up there? Your Skills are all incredibly taxing, and the floors of the Untamed Garden are quite large."

"I've made a few changes as of late." When Cyrus tilts his head at the notion, she continues, "I'm currently acting as a Spirit Evoker; I've been meaning to sit down and speak with you on this."

"What's your current focus?"

"I have nearly perfected the use of Grave; if we can focus enemy aggression on one unit and bolster that ally's defenses, the Wraiths under my command will lash out in an effort to protect them." Cyrus gives her a blank stare, to which Diana simply chuckles. "Yes, I did rummage through your journal; your ideas can be delightfully mean-spirited sometimes." Ignoring his persisting stare, she continues her explanation. "Rather than rely on Hell's Lure, I have taken to simply making our fallen enemies serve me; this will sustain my supply of Wraiths while minimizing manual upkeep."

Raising a finger at the notion, Clarisse asks, "What happens if one of us falls in battle?"

"I can summon a Wraith using a small fragment of your soul." Clarisse shivers in response. "You have nothing to fear, Clarisse; you can survive without the fragment, but I'll return it to you all the same."

Valerie asks, "Outside of Grave, what do you have for offense?"

"Flame Bomb and Ice Bomb are two Skills that I have nearly perfected." She frowns as she follows, "I am a tad upset that I had to give up Wraith Explosion; I did not get to demonstrate the full extent of its power. At any rate, I've also maximized my chances of immediately recalling a Wraith after dismissing one via the aforementioned two Skills."

Fiddling with the new shining bracelet on her left wrist, Clarisse absently says, "I wonder which one influences the other…" When Cyrus and Diana immediately point at each other, Clarisse can only chuckle. "Yeah, I figured as much." Glancing at Lissa, she asks, "So why did you buy this Glow Brace for me?"

"It's a free use of your whistle so you needn't tax yourself so much." Crossing her arms, she says, "I worry about you." Clarisse blushes at this, but makes no effort to reply. Looking to Cyrus, she says, "Before I forget, I've decided to suppress the need to preemptively use Dragon Roar. It clashes too heavily with your role as a Fencer, and enemies have recently been making use of attacks with large effect areas." Letting out a huff, she follows, "Pisses me off."

"By suppressing Auto Roar, that means you can't activate Dragon Force, correct?"

"Unfortunately, yeah."

"Hm…that is a significant loss, but we'll work it out. We'll take this trip to acclimate." When the party reaches the 24th floor, Cyrus takes a moment to survey the immediate area. The region is well-lit thanks to the light of the moon; the exit-end of a shortcut sits within this clearing, and there is only one proper exit. A thought occurs to him. "Mom, have you ever been to space before?"

After summoning two Wraiths, she looks about to see the curious faces of her comrades. "I have traveled among the stars, yes. I was given the chance four iterations ago, when the denizens of Erdboden had evolved to a point where interstellar travel became possible." Everyone expresses shock at this. "Humans are greedy creatures; their curiosity is never satisfied. When their home ceased to yield wonders, they sought another." She chuckles. "Of course, there were other reasons; in that particular iteration, there were far too many countries whose inhabitants lived in perpetual poverty. We colonized other planets in the solar system to alleviate this issue."

Raising a finger, Valerie asks, "Does that mean those people are still on those planets? Wait…no, they'd be reset too, right?"

"The gods of Erdboden maintain the entirety of the universe, but Erdboden is the only celestial body in our solar system that actually gets reset…OK, the sun gets reset as well, and I believe Shinryu recently granted Aquaria's request to reset the moon's distance as well. I am unaware of other solar systems where planets get reset, though they could exist."

Scratching at her chin, Lissa asks, "Why would he need to do that?"

"The sun is not infinite; it will one day exhaust its fuel supply, and through a process that I am ill-fit to explain will ultimately expand and engulf the inner planets, including Erdboden." The people present adopt horrified countenances. "This will not happen in your lifetime; the process will take roughly 5 billion years." She shakes her head. "5 billion. I'm only six thousand years old; there's no telling if I'll even be around when that happens. Regardless, the gods reset the sun's fuel, extending its lifespan. I am told that, even without this system in place, the sun would still have a great deal of fuel remaining, and wouldn't expand for a few billion years."

Fear is present in Lissa's eyes as she asks, "A- And the moon?"

"Ah, the moon moves away from the planet at a rate of a few centimeters every year." She shrugs at this. "Aquaria only recently revealed this after the War of Erdboden came to an end, so I don't know the long-term ramifications. To answer the original question, the people who moved to other planets are still there…their descendants anyway."

"You didn't wish to join them, Mom?" She looks to him. "I imagine you had friends you didn't want to lose from four iterations ago; my Mom and I were never under the delusion that she was your first friend."

"In my six thousand years, I've never felt as strong a bond as what I had with Denise. I had acquaintances back then, yes, but none of whom I was fond enough to consider permanently leaving Erdboden behind." Crossing her arms, she follows, "I left the planet to temporarily live on Mars while I waited for the gods to finish resetting Erdboden. I've gotten into the habit of vacationing far during the resets; Mars is lovely, by the way, though it's not nearly as saturated with magic, so the denizens rely primarily on technology." A smile forms as she follows, "Should the Coelistis family decide to leave for the stars, I think I might join them; should its members decide to ultimately be reset with the planet when next that occurs…I think I may join them in turn, and finally be reborn as someone new."

"You sure you wish to do that, Mom?" She nods to him. "What changed?"

"I see myself as your family's guardian now, Cyrus. I'll get to personally bear witness to you and your wives rebuild the bloodline. Though I have made many acquaintances over my millennia, yours is the first family I was ever a part of. Eternity will be far more bearable knowing I have the descendants of my son and daughter-in-laws to look after." She giggles. "Looking after you for the last 21 years was worth suffering through my past woes, even if the early years were harsh on you." Cyrus motions to make a reply, only to relent as his words fail him. Diana can see the expression he wears, and can infer what he wishes to say. "Denise granting me the honor of your custody was one of the best things to ever happen to me. If I were to meet my end with this family, I could certainly die happy." She motions away from the group, leading the exploration as she gives a parting word. "I love you, son; thank you for letting me into your world."

' _I'm the one who should be thanking you, Mom._ ' As the exploration properly begins, the party finds a batch of Forest Wheat to reap; Cyrus and Valerie both take the opportunity to do so, noting that the Guild's supply is almost empty. Another shortcut's exit-end is discovered en route to the farthest edge of C7. The Seekers arrive at C1 as a result of the Stratum's wrap effect, being greeted by a door. This door is passed up in favor of exploring the immediate area. Beyond this door is a moderately sized clearing hosting a selection of herbs. "Ah, the Take Point of this floor." After marking this location on the map, he senses the automatic activation of Valerie's Miasma Armor. Furling the map, he says, "Prepare for combat, everyone."

The party is beset by a trio of enemies. At the center is a gelatinous creature with a single horn jutting from its form. Its color scheme consists of varying shades of purple, along with yellow; it evokes the visage of a starry night sky. At its flanks are two Bladed Phasmidae. Balto pulls a stretch of rope from the bag near Clarisse as his mistress nocks an arrow. Lissa readies Counter Guard, knowing that the Phasmidae are more than likely going to attack the entirety of the front row. Valerie's scythe takes on a green glow as she slips into an offensive stance.

Diana looks to her Wraiths, both of whom are knights clad in regal armor. "Be a pair of dears and watch Lissa's back." The two nod to her and take their places at Lissa's side. Valerie charges in with a wide swing of Toxic Reap, though she only manages to poison a single Phasmid. Cyrus charges in immediately afterwards to cut a tendon of the non-ailed Phasmid's leg with Haze Slash. The creature stumbles before dropping to one knee and falling asleep. ' _I should ask Cyrus how he does that._ '

Clarisse and Balto seal the limbs of the Horned Gel, delaying its action. The poisoned Bladed Phasmid musters enough strength to perform a sweeping slash at the shins of the front row. Though the damage they sustain is marginal, Lissa and Valerie both take a knee from the pain they feel. In accordance with Diana's command, one of her Wraiths rushes to bash the Phasmid in the face with his shield. "You will advance no further, ruffian!"

The impact of the shield is enough to completely overwrite the effects of poison, completely paralyzing the creature. This does not last, however, for the second Wraith charges in to deliver a shield bash of her own. "You're goin' down, scumbag!" True to her word, the Phasmid succumbs to its wounds and breathes its last. Even though the target responsible for her damage was just slain, Lissa fires a round from her use of Counter Guard to finish off the Phasmid Cyrus just put to sleep. The Horned Gel attempts to attack, but is unable to free its legs from the rope securing them. "I don't like what you just tried." As punishment, she floats over and kicks the gel. Though the damage is small, the Wraith believes her point gets across. "Don't do it again."

Cyrus charges in to unleash Bolt Slash upon the target, and is surprised to find that it survives. This does not last, for the creature's state of helplessness allows the Seekers the opportunity to end the encounter quickly. Opening the Monstrous Codex, Cyrus flips to the entry of this new creature. "That Horned Gel is immune to three of your ailment swings, Valerie; no need to waste any energy trying to shut them down. Curse is the only ailment that will work from your repertoire, which isn't worth it."

"You serious? Panic, Paralysis, and Poison are all negated?" He nods. "Damn."

"Hunter Shot is quite effective, Clarisse; we'll be counting on you and Balto."

"Sure. Leave it to us. It didn't drop anything, right?"

He shakes his head. "Nope, but I think its Conditional Drop is related to Stab damage. It resists all physical damage so we're going to need a plan for that; I'm thinking Armor Pierce and Target Arrow."

She nods to this. "Sounds good to me. I'll follow your lead."

Lissa looks to the pair of Wraiths and thanks them for their assistance. The male knight nods in silence; the female knight gives a thumbs-up as she replies, "No thanks are necessary, friend; us knights gotta stick together." She looks to Cyrus with an inquisitive expression, though no one can see this since her entire head is contained within a helmet. "Still though, that Masurao of yours is surprising; he was moving faster than the Therian." She steps over to him and tries to discern his features. "You look Earthlain."

"I am indeed Earthlain, fair dame; I've done a fair bit of training to bolster my action speed. Assuming Valerie's Miasma Armor isn't active, I should be the fastest person in the party now."

"Huh, you don't say? Takes all kinds. You're not even wearing heavy armor and yet you took those hits like a champ. Ever consider bein' a Dragoon or a Hoplite?" She floats about to view him from a few additional angles. "Yeah…you'd look real good in a suit of armor, too."

"My health is on the frail side, but maybe I'll get better in the coming years."

"Ah, a fighter who relies on speed and wit; gotta respect that." She floats back to Diana's side along with her companion. "Guess I'll see what you all are capable of while we're still here."

With nothing left to do at this Take Point, the party departs. Stepping through the door they previously skipped places the Seekers in a great expanse. To the right is the spiky bird FOE, which the Guild has yet to engage in combat. There is no reason to engage this creature, either, given the space to move around it. Though the bird is aggressive, it quickly loses interest once the Seekers exit its line of sight. A gravity console is located in the northern corner of this expanse, tucked away in C2. Cyrus elects to activate the terminal, but not before giving everyone a chance to find a partner. Valerie speeds over to Balto and takes him into her arms, leaving Clarisse seething. Cyrus steps over to take Clarisse into his arms, smiling at her as she blushes and silently nestles in his grip.

This leaves Lissa with Diana. As she picks up her mother-in-law, she looks to the Wraiths. "Are you two going to be alright?"

The male knight nods. "We are unaffected by the properties of that machine."

On this note, Cyrus activates the console, causing everyone to float. Diana expresses surprise. "How quaint; it truly is a zero-gravity effect. I haven't experienced this since my trip to Titan." When asked about this location, she says, "Titan is one of Saturn's many moons. I took a trip there to see how its colonization process was coming along; last I checked, we were dealing with the gravity issues." Her explanation is left at this as she gives Cyrus the signal to lead the way. The party proceeds south, noting along their flight path that the bird FOE is forced into a similar predicament. "Hm, unlike the grounded FOEs, the bird can travel in much the same way we can. How curious."

The group loops around to reach the bottom-left corner of this expanse, which provides a straight shot to the other side of the console. Cyrus elects to interact with the console to bring everyone back to the ground. "We could go through this next door while suspended in the air, but I'd rather know what lies beyond, first." This proves to be the right call, for though the door opens into a small path that wouldn't impede a fixed flight path, turning the corner reveals a forest stretch that would have forced the party to return to the ground anyway. ' _Good show, Cyrus._ ' He steps through the next door with his allies as the hour strikes 9PM. To the left is another gravity console. "The path ahead looks to be filled with many twists and turns. Let's chart a course, first."

Lissa nods to this. "Good plan; I saw some FOEs on the map while we were in the previous area. It would behoove us to scout them." This process runs the course of two hours. Lissa finds herself fleeing with the others after drawing much too close to one of the three bird FOEs. The creature chirps angrily as it tries to catch the Seekers. "You need to calm down!" The angry chirping persists. "Cyrus, don't bother translating!" She catches her breath along with her comrades as they wait for the bird to return to its formation. "Honestly, what the Hell?"

Cyrus furls the map as he says, "I've devised a solution, but we'll need to bait two of the birds."

The plan is enacted, with two birds being drawn from the left side of the trio's patrol route. From here, the party loops the pair around the bottom cluster of trees located in B2. They arrive at the gravity console, quickly pairing up as before so that Cyrus can activate it. The plan doesn't flow as smoothly as intended due to the birds' penchant for losing interest in the chase quite quickly. The Seekers pass over the eastern pit to traverse a narrow corridor. It is here that they learn why the FOEs get stuck in one spot for a period of time; their extended spikes dig into trees, forcing them to waste time freeing themselves.

After reaching the other side of the console, returning the gravity to normal, and proceeding through the next door, the party exhales a sigh of relief. Clarisse picks out a few quills embedded in Cyrus' body, sighing to herself. "You didn't have to take every hit for me while we were flying, Co; I can handle a bit of damage." She removes another quill, one that managed to pierce quite deeply into his right arm; an unpleasant sound reaches her ears as this quill slowly emerges from his flesh. "Goodness." She looks to him, finding a straight face upon his countenance. "Doesn't that hurt? You can't tell me this doesn't hurt."

"I'm just glad you're alright…this hurts like Hell, though, at least three of them." Once the party's wounds are treated, the exploration continues. Now that the hour has rolled over to midnight, Cyrus is asked if he has any idea of what his gift to Fiona might be. As he draws the map of this new area, he replies, "I've already bought it, actually. I had a free moment awhile ago, so I warped home to Erdboden."

Valerie tilts her head at this. "I wonder what it is." As she and her comrades step through the door that lies ahead, the party is beset by a Horned Gel and a Battering Boar. The battlefield is narrow, granting the boar a distinct advantage. "Well that sucks…my armor didn't activate, either; dammit."

Cyrus calls for the party to take refuge behind the surrounding trees; he and Valerie are granted the high ground as they prepare to counter the boar's assault. Valerie manually prepares her Miasma Armor, leaving Clarisse and Balto to seal the legs of the Horned Gel. The battle is intentionally stalled so that Valerie can slay the boar with the effects of poison while reducing the damage it can deal to the party. Though the party's efforts are successful, and the battle is ended with none of the Seekers taking too much damage, the male knight Diana summoned is close to fading out of existence.

"You have done well, Sir Knight; I-"

Holding up a hand to stop her, he says, "A knight fulfills his duty until the end, Milady. When the next battle ensues; make use of my essence as you will."

She nods to him, saying nothing, but giving silent assent to his request. The party reaches another gravity console just lying along the path; a bird FOE patrols beyond. Diana offers a suggestion as she steps over to Lissa. "Let us activate the console now instead of waiting." Cyrus nods to this and waits for the party to partner up again before taking Clarisse into his arms and triggering the console's effects. Observing the path, Diana says, "We have two choices. We can proceed through this door with the gravity as is, or we can loop around to that corner in A6 and proceed south through that opening." Valerie comments that she's leaning towards the latter option. "As am I."

"South it is." Cyrus then leads everyone down this course, causing the party to stop in front of another door. Instead of proceeding through this door, he motions to the bottom side of the gravity console to return his party to the ground. As the group makes its way back to the southern door, he realizes something important. "The bird FOEs will remain stuck to the trees for a short time, even if gravity is return to normal. This information might be useful for a puzzle later." The southern door opens into a large clearing. Here lies another door leading to the western interior of the 24th floor; a path rests off to the side. Pointing to this path, he says, "The shortcut back to the staircase lies beyond this path, but let's explore the dead end it will lead to first."

After a series of many turns, the party reaches the dead end Cyrus speculated on. Here, they find a cat sprawled out on the grass. It sports a patchwork coat comprised of white, black, and brown fur. Diana says, "A calico cat from the looks of it." The cat ceases its rolling once it notices the party. It looks to them, curious of their intentions. "I believe it wishes to play." When Cyrus grabs hold of her hand to direct her away from this place, she expresses confusion. "Son? Whatever is the matter?"

"It's a bit late to play with a kitten." En route to the shortcut's entrance, the group locates the Mine Point of this floor, which is marked on the map. "Good." Looking to the Wraiths, he follows, "We're going to depart from here now that the shortcut is unlocked; we'll be back come the morrow, so if you wish to travel with us again, please get some rest." The two knights nod to him before disappearing from sight. Cyrus pulls a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket. "Alright, now to prepare for that birthday…"


	53. Facing the Plague

**Chapter 53: Facing the Plague**

The following morning arrives at Fiona's usual time; as the alarm clock sitting atop the dresser at her bedside begins to chime, she quickly silences it. Her movements suggest that she is going to resume her slumber, but she begrudgingly lifts herself from her pillow to yawn and stretch. Wiping her eyes, she takes a look around, soon realizing that she's the only one in the room. ' _Fae must have gotten up early to train with Valerie again._ ' She motions to pull the covers from her form so that she may climb out of bed, but stops as the door opens. Cyrus is the one to enter; he is armed with a golden serving tray holding a lidded platter. ' _You have got to be kidding._ ' A blush and awkward smile fixate upon her countenance as Cyrus draws near. He wordlessly sets the tray in front of Fiona before placing a fleeting kiss upon her lips.

"Good morning to you, my dear; I have brought you breakfast." He removes the lid, causing a collection of steam to free itself from its prison. An enticing aroma begins to fill the room, causing Fiona's eyes to sparkle. As the steam clears, Cyrus says, "Amy, Valerie, and I collaborated on this dish; they, too, wished to contribute to the birthday girl's first meal." As the steam fully dissipates, Fiona can see that the platter before her is topped with what she assumes to be a dozen cuts of ravioli mixed with steamed and roasted vegetables. She can't help but instinctively grab hold of a fork, her mouth watering. "We have prepared for you a breakfast platter of steamed bread rings."

She takes a bite, realizing that the contents of the bread rings are not meat, but rather mashed potatoes thoroughly mixed with a slew of spices and vegetables. "Oh man, this is delicious." A small dipping cup of ketchup has been provided, which she promptly uses to accentuate the flavor of her meal. The drink provided is a tall glass of strawberry lemonade; a lime wedge sits at the rim, and an umbrella straw sits within. One sip elicits a joyous sound from Fiona. "I could get used to this~" Looking to Cyrus, she smiles as she asks, "So I get to sample this cooking every day now?"

"So long as you're with me, I shall endeavor to keep you from ever wanting."

"I suppose my old man is gonna have to compromise; there's no way I'm letting this slip." Cyrus laughs at this, but makes no effort to reply. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"I intend to give you your gift once you've finished eating. I'll take a party into Yggdrasil to hopefully finish up the 24th floor; my plan is to be back before 7PM so we can have your party."

She grins at him. "So? What'd you get me, babe?" When his face scrunches up to shoot her a dubious expression, she laughs. "You might as well tell me."

"No, you'll have to be patient; I'm going to spoil you because it's your special day, but not everything shall be a freebie." She pouts at this before stuffing her face with more of her breakfast. "I'll give you a small hint; the gift comes from Erdboden." She arches an eyebrow, but doesn't ask for him to clarify, instead taking another bite of her meal. "I decided to make use of some free time while I wasn't in the Labyrinth, and went home to synthesize something for you." Her face lights up at this, bringing a smile to Cyrus' face. "I collaborated with my friend Eric to make this, and consider it to be our finest piece since we made Leslie's personal shield when we were children. I can only hope that you will love it in turn."

When Fiona has finished consuming her breakfast, Cyrus snaps his fingers to summon four portals of darkness. From these portals are pulled gift-wrapped boxes of varying sizes, one box to each portal. ' _The Hell did they make, a suit of armor?_ ' As she ponders the contents of the boxes now filling the room, Cyrus breaks her train of thought by calling for Amy and Lissa to enter the room. When the two step in, they are both wearing black suits; ' _Oh what fresh Hell is this?_ '

Cyrus steps over to the door, looking to both Lissa and Amy as he says, "Ladies, please see to the birthday girl; I shall assemble the others downstairs."

Standing from the bed, Fiona rests a hand on her hip as she adopts a smirk on her face. "What, you're not gonna stick around to see the results of your craft?"

"Doing so would require me to see you in a state of undress, which I'm pretty sure I have not yet earned." Fiona, left at a loss for words, can only yield a chuckle, followed by a sigh, as she gestures for Cyrus to take his leave. He waits downstairs in the lobby with the rest of his Guild, as well as Jenetta and Aria's Guild. Though Cyrus' focus is on the staircase Fiona and the others will use to descend, he occasionally finds himself distracted by Fae and Karoline joyfully playing with Balto and a few of Jenetta's housecats. Before long, the sound of metal boots making contact with the wooden flooring upstairs draws his attention back to the staircase. ' _Here she comes._ '

Fiona descends to the main lobby with Lissa and Amy at her side. The two now sport sunglasses, holding their hands behind their backs. Several audible gasps can be heard from the onlookers as they take in Fiona's attire. As she had initially assumed, Cyrus and Eric forged for her a suit of armor; this armor, however, is of an atypical design, being more akin to an ornate dress. The dress sports many frills, notably on the wide hoop skirt that reaches down to Fiona's knee caps. The primary colors of the dress are white and blue, with the armaments being comprised of silver and accentuated with gold.

Her boots have also been changed; though the appearance is similar to what she started with, Fiona's current pair of boots is much lighter, and has each of the heels accented with a pair of small white wings. Her sword remains secured to her left arm, as it always has. Curiously, there is no helmet; curious still, Fiona has elected to style her hair into a single ponytail hanging behind her back, rather than the twin-tails that usually hang in front of her shoulders.

Aria, wearing a large smile on her face, gives a thumbs-up as she says, "Damn girl, lookin' good!" Fiona adopts a flustered countenance as she shyly thanks her friend for the compliment. Looking to Logan, she dons a grin; "You should buy me a dress like this."

"You're out of your mind, Ari." He gestures to call attention to everything Fiona is currently wearing. "Do I look like I have that kind of money?" Jabbing a thumb in Cyrus' direction, he follows, "This guy just bought the Cradle Edge for Valerie and still had enough to commission a dress this grand." Looking to Cyrus outright, he asks, "What's your secret?"

"I saved up money for the Cradle Edge, but I didn't spend a single ental on the dress…I forged it by hand, with assistance from my brother-in-law."

Looking to Logan again, Aria rests her hands on her hips. "Logan; commission him." Logan can only let out a loud groan in response. "Cyrus, you'd give us a discount, right? How much would you charge for a dress like that?"

He looks to Fiona, and then back to Aria. "Hm…the exchange rate between gold and ental is 1:1, so that kind of dress would run you about ten thousand, fifteen thousand if I were to include the Sylph blessing."

Fiona's expression lightens up at this. "Is that why everything feels so light?" He nods to her. "So you can just casually ask Sylphs for favors like this?"

"The favor does not come without a price, but we are on good enough terms that we can just ask each other for things like this." He smiles as he asks, "How do you feel? Is it comfortable?"

"More than I could ever imagine. I feel out of place, though; I looked in the mirror and saw a princess."

"An apt feeling I would say; you are technically going to be my queen in the coming future. A change in appearance won't alter who you are; save for the necessary formalities, you can expect me to treat you as I always have." He dons a grin, resting a hand in his pocket as he follows, "Think of this as a preview of what is to come, my dear." He chuckles. "I certainly like what I see."

She sighs, though her smile cannot be contained. "Yeah, I bet you do."

Stepping towards the front door, Cyrus performs a gesture for flair as he calls out to his comrades. "Ladies and Balto, it is time for us to depart; Yggdrasil awaits!" Glancing back, he looks to Aria as he says, "Fair dame, I leave this to you."

"No worries, Cyrus; I'll keep the wife out of trouble."

"Really, Ari? You're gonna be my sitter?"

Cyrus does not stick around to hear how the rest of this conversation plays out, instead making haste in his effort to depart from the building. The party from the previous night returns to the 24th floor; Diana summons the same pair of Wraiths to aid her in combat once again, both of whom appear to be fully recovered. A smile forms upon her face in recognition of this. "I am glad to see that you both are well; I look forward to working with you again." The two bow in response before taking their place at her sides. "We are ready to set out, leader."

"Then let us continue." He and his party return to the door at the floor's eastern center, the one that shall lead into C5. Looking to the north, Cyrus' mind returns to the unopened door that awaits in A5. "I'd like to explore what lies beyond that door, but let us instead push on ahead for now." Turning his attention back to the door standing before the group, he follows, "This likely serves as the path of progress, so we might as well explore it." The Seekers step through the door together, and are immediately greeted with the sight of a Plague Demon stepping into view. Cyrus' expression sinks into a frown; "I regret everything."

Crossing her arms, Diana spends a moment observing the Plague Demon. She seems to be less interested in the creature's disturbing mannerisms and more in its physical structure. "What would possess a scientist to combine that specific set of creatures?" She glances towards the path ahead to see that another gravity console awaits beyond, which brings a dark smile to her face. "Now that sounds like fun."

Tugging at Cyrus' arm, Valerie says, "Chief, Master Annora just got a fun idea; help."

"Master? What are you planning?"

"I wish to observe this FOE while it is under the effects of zero gravity." The two stare at her blankly. "Have you children so little faith?" She scoffs, stepping over to Valerie. "As punishment, you shall be my partner for our zero-gravity travels." As Valerie's face shifts to convey her shock, Diana follows, "That is correct; Clarisse shall get to cuddle with little Balto."

Clarisse jumps for joy as she lets out a cheer. "Spirit Mama's the best!"

Looking to Cyrus, Balto says, "I do not understand humans." He is then taken into the arms of his mistress, who nuzzles her cheek against his. Valerie growls at Clarisse in response. "Mistress, this is embarrassing."

The Hound is decisively ignored while the rest of the group pairs up. Proceeding south from the console's location, the party flies past the Plague Demon, which is still grounded, much to Diana's surprise. "Hm, fascinating." As she proceeds to the west with her comrades, she takes note of the Plague Demon moving in turn; though grounded, the creature is still capable of taking advantage of the lessened gravity, allowing it to fly to the western edge of this expanse. "I believe our path may be cut off." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "Are we to engage this FOE under such circumstances?"

A few test movements suggest that the Plague Demon is currently only locked into swapping between the western and eastern sides of this room. Sighing at this, Cyrus says, "Given the situation, I think we're meant to force the Plague Demon to the eastern side, return the gravity to normal, and then freely travel to our exit."

Lissa says, "That's assuming there's only one Plague Demon in here." Taking a look at the map, specifically at what has been revealed, she follows, "That might be a safe bet, actually." Balto suddenly growls, catching her attention. Reaching for her shield, she asks, "You sense something, Balto?" The Hound points ahead to a quintet of ants floating towards the party; the sight of this causes Lissa to shiver. "That's just wrong." Noticing that two of the ants on the backline are red in color, she looks among her comrades to give a warning; "We got a new enemy!"

Scanning the enemy with his Runic Eye, Cyrus clutches at his katana. "Those red ants might be capable of utilizing fire; Lissa, give us a Mana Guard." He glances to see that Valerie's Miasma Armor did not trigger on its own. ' _Shit._ ' He looks back to Diana instead. "Master, we need an Ice Bomb; they aren't weak to it, but they resist Fire." Turning back to the approaching enemy group, he points to one of the red ants in the back; "Reese, Balto; try and bind the limbs of that Fire Ant; if we're lucky, it'll need to use its lower body instead of the head." As everyone assents to their orders, he can see Lissa trigger a Union Skill by herself; ' _She's making use of Blessing; a good call, most likely._ '

Lissa's decision proves to have been the correct one, for the majority of the ants endeavor to use the surrounding trees to jump around the battlefield to take bites out of the various members of the party. Only one chooses to make use of the fire attack that Cyrus suspected to be in its arsenal. Lissa's use of Mana Guard protects everyone from suffering more damage than they would have otherwise, though Valerie avoids the flames completely by using her scythe to spin onto a tree branch. Here, she takes a moment of respite to trigger her Miasma Armor. Diana converts the female knight into an Ice Bomb before having her charge into the enemy fray. Though the explosion catches the enemy off guard, they all seem perfectly capable of continuing combat.

Lissa looks to the leader, noticing that he is preparing to launch himself from the trunk of a tree. ' _He's readying a drawing stance, so he's probably going for Petal Scatter._ ' She stabs her shield into the ground below to bypass the lessened gravity. Once grounded, she mounts her cannon into a slot on the shield to take aim; the effects of Mana Guard trigger once more, though Lissa is ready to fire at one of the ants in turn. ' _I normally don't use Gunmount, but this looks like a damn good opportunity._ ' As she thinks this, the Plague Demon flies past the battling groups, momentarily distracting everyone, including the ants, before it collides with the door the Seekers used to enter this expanse. ' _I guess that one won't be too much of a bother._ '

Diana's remaining Wraith has taken note of Cyrus' intent as well; looking back to his summoner, he says, "Milady, make use of Ice Bomb again; your son needs extra support." She nods to this before imbuing the Wraith with ice.

Catching hold of Balto as he flies towards her, Clarisse braces herself to stop her advance using a nearby tree. "We missed the mark with the rope, but I think Co has a backup plan." Looking to a distant tree, she notices something that brings a smirk to her face. "I can use that tree to get in decent chip damage with Foot Pierce." She pats Balto on the head. "Stay here; I'm going in." Just as she prepares to jump over to the tree she plans to use, Valerie flies through the line containing the three Panda Ants and slays them all with a single use of Chaos Reap. "Well…shit, there goes my plan."

With the three enemies now slain, Diana snaps her fingers to gather their life force, which is then brought together to re-summon the female Wraith she just lost. The knight looks around, somewhat confused. "Huh? What happened?" She then watches as Cyrus flies towards the remaining two ants to use Petal Scatter, which rends one of the ants asunder, allowing Clarisse and Lissa to finish the one that remains; this leaves Diana no reason to go through with using Ice Bomb, thus preserving both Wraiths. "I…guess you all had it under control." Though Diana cannot see the smile the Wraith wears, the joy in her voice is clear as she says, "Thank you for bringing me back, Milady."

"No need to thank me; I take care of all my children." Without even bothering to look in Cyrus' direction, she points a finger at him and follows, "Don't you give me that look, Cyrus." He gives a meek but affirmative response before floating over to the gravity console. "He's a good lad, truly."

The gravity is returned to normal once the Plague Demon is confirmed to be on the eastern side of the room. With the way forward now secure, the party presses on. As they arrive at the door awaiting on the western side of this expanse, Clarisse looks back to the approaching Plague Demon in the distance. "You know, now that I've gotten a better look at that thing, I realize that its weird exposed ribcage is actually not a ribcage." Cyrus stops in his tracks upon hearing this, turning to meet Clarisse's eyes. She points at the Plague Demon's supposed ribcage. Upon closer inspection, the "ribs" are actually wriggling. "Those kinda remind me of the legs you'd find on centipedes."

Cyrus' voice takes on a deep and hostile tone, practically dripping with venom as he calmly says, "We must eradicate that species; leave no survivors."

Clarisse's eyes widen at this as she glances back to him. "Co?" She then freezes in place upon making eye contact; there is a distinct hatred fixed upon his glare, and though Clarisse fully understands that he is looking past her to direct this spite to the Plague Demon, she cannot help but start sweating as fear begins to take over her countenance. She instinctively takes a step backwards as Cyrus steps forward while drawing his katana. "Whoa there, Co; we can talk about this!" He takes a single step closer. "Co. Cyrus, I know we've had some fights, but you're not really gonna kill me, are you?"

"My blade has no desire for your flesh, Clarisse." He points his katana ahead at the monster pointing directly at him. "It seeks the blood of that creature, along with the rest of its kind."

"Today. You."

"Today. Your race; genocide is upon you."

"Holy shit." Clarisse's expression becomes flustered as she looks to Lissa for support. "Lissa, do something!"

Grabbing hold of Cyrus' free hand, Lissa pulls him towards the door leading out of this expanse. "Dear, we have work to do."

"This takes precedence, my dearest Elizabeth, now unhand me." She gives an immediate negative response before she lifts him off the ground and slumps his form over her shoulder. "Lissa, please."

She heaves an exasperated sigh. "No, dear. Let's go, everyone." She makes no comment as Cyrus continues to draw the map whilst being held in her grip; glancing at the parchment, she clicks her tongue in frustration. "That door in A5 was going to lead to some sort of dead end; dammit, we'll have to make time and go back for it, later." Stepping through the next door the party comes across, the Seekers are graced with another gravity console. Taking another quick glance at the map Cyrus is drawing, Lissa takes notice of an FOE on the southwestern side of the floor. "There is seriously an FOE in F2; the shortcut back to the floor's descending pillar is all the way in E7, so the pillar that leads to the 25th floor couldn't possibly be there." She groans. "I don't wanna loop that far around."

Folding her arms, Valerie puts forth a frown. "Yeah, I'm not exactly down for that, either." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Chief, can you turn into a Behemoth in this world? If so, you mind doing us a solid by tearing a path through the trees?"

"If I could actually sustain my Behemoth form for that long, I would have already taken care of the Plague Demons instead of doing these FOE puzzles the fair way."

"Good point." She sighs. "Activate the gravity console; I have a plan to deal with the Plague Demon." True to her word, she alone baits the Plague Demon into using the lessened gravity to place itself between two pits that it cannot naturally jump over. Cyrus returns gravity to its normal levels, trapping the creature. Valerie dusts her hands before letting out a triumphant huff. "Too easy." She then realizes that a treasure chest lies ahead, and that, by trapping the Plague Demon, she and her comrades have rendered this chest impossible to obtain. "Wait, dammit! That's not fair!" She turns to Cyrus, her expression a mix between flustered, embarrassment, and rage. She makes use of her whining tone once more; "Chief! The Labyrinth is cheating; make it stop!" Cyrus looks to the side, presumably to consider how he'll go about satisfying this request. Valerie is surprised to find him step forward and place a kiss upon her forehead before taking her into his arms. She nestles in his grip, a pout upon her lips. "Stupid Yggdrasil…" She then hides her face in his chest to keep the others from seeing her expression.

A sigh escapes Cyrus. "We'll have to come back for the treasure chest, too." Stepping beyond the next door, Cyrus is surprised to find that the next area is little more than an atrium with only one exit, one that leads to the west. "I do believe we have to fully wrap around before the ascending pillar will become available." He looks to Lissa and asks, "How are you holding up, love?"

"I am upset."

' _I don't know what I expected._ ' The party presses onward to arrive at the next expanse, which is even larger than the last. Looking around, Cyrus can see the Plague Demon in the distance, as well as the next gravity console. Setting Valerie down, he muses, "Right, so how do we deal with this one…" The console proves to be farther than expected; Cyrus activates said console's effects as the Plague Demon catches wind of the Seekers' presence. Cyrus attempts to trick the Plague Demon by abusing horizontal preference, but the creature moves north instead of west, nearly trapping the Seekers. "Ah, piss in a hand basket." He quickly returns to the console to return the flow of gravity to normal. Looking over his comrades, he says, "We can get away from the FOE, but it'll be on our heels for the rest of our trip through this expanse."

Clarisse shakes her head at the idea. "If we get into a Random Encounter, there's a good chance it'll join in; I know I was against us fighting the Hellhound back in the Lucent Hollows, but…I think we should just go for this one."

"Now. You."

Cyrus groans in response; "It's weak to Fire, but Ice is ineffective; Seekers, prepare for combat!" He charges into the fray ahead of his allies, drawing his katana in preparation to use Armor Pierce on the Plague Demon. He can hear Valerie's Miasma Armor triggering on its own, which brings a smirk to his face. ' _We lucked out this time._ ' He nods to himself. "Mom, bolster our elemental defenses; Lissa, use Mana Guard! Clarisse, use Target Arrow while Valerie preps Wilting Miasma!" His comrades carry out their orders swiftly enough to strike and debilitate the FOE before Cyrus can actually reach it. ' _And here I was thinking I had the speed advantage now._ ' He strikes before the Plague Demon, driving the blade of his katana into the creature's flesh. He rears his left hand backwards before his form is overtaken by a silver aura, this aura then disappears as his palm surges into the pommel of his weapon, driving the blade deeper into the creature.

The silver aura then briefly flashes over the form of the Plague Demon as it roars in agony. Cyrus is thrown off before the creature lashes out. Though Cyrus lands on his feet in a sliding motion, he is unable to fully brace himself for the incoming strike of the demon's fist. Valerie, Lissa, and Diana are struck as well, though none of them are incapacitated. Seeing that Valerie is coating the blade of her scythe with the effects of Curse, Cyrus triggers the use of Black Mist between himself and everyone except Lissa. Valerie's strike lands cleanly, but the effects of Curse, to her surprise, are not applied. Diana tosses a bottle of Soma into the air, which Clarisse strikes with an arrow to rain the healing solution onto the party. The Plague Demon is distracted by this, allowing Balto to rush in and tie up its arms and injure its legs.

Though used for the purpose of bolstering the party's elemental defenses, Diana's male Wraith immediately returns as a result of reincarnation; he charges into the fray to slash the enemy, which paralyzes the opposition. "Milady, now would be an excellent time to make use of Flame Bomb."

The female Wraith nods to this, adding that, "We can keep bombarding it with explosions if we get lucky and reincarnate." Diana agrees with this assessment, and suggests that the female knight serve as the first bomb. "Leave it to me."

Valerie extends the effects of Wilting Miasma, causing her Miasma Armor to extend its duration in turn. Clarisse and Cyrus elect to extend the effects of Target Arrow and Armor Pierce, respectively, and though Lissa recognizes that she needs to tend to a few additional injuries, she makes use of Dragon Roar instead. The fury of her battle cry causes the ground beneath her feet to cave in, as well as causes a deep crimson aura to cover her form. In turn, her once brown eyes turn orange as the pupils become slits akin to those of reptiles. As the Plague Demon reels from the explosion, Cyrus flies in from the smoke to stab his katana into its flesh; another agonized roar escapes the creature, this time even louder than the last, as Cyrus violently wrenches his weapon from the adversary to flip off of its form and sheathes his katana.

Before anyone can act, Cyrus appears to split off into five separate copies. Curiously, all five of these copies have their weapon unsheathed, despite Cyrus still clearly being in his aerial drawing stance. He snaps his fingers to land on a slab of ice he conjures, only to immediately disappear from sight along with his supposed clones. An audible click rings throughout the area just before the sound of several blades slicing along the air sharply overtakes it; the Plague Demon is cut deeply by Cyrus' use of Petal Scatter before the Masurao returns to view. He is crouched, his blade sheathed and his eyes closed as his back is turned to his opponent.

Valerie charges in to make use of Fatal Reap, severing all of the small black appendages that comprise the creature's right set of "ribs". She and Cyrus repeat the use of Petal Scatter and Fatal Reap, but the Plague Demon still stands. The creature roars in defiance as it pulls its arms apart to destroy the ropes binding them. Readying her scythe, Valerie prepares to charge in again. "It's still paralyzed, so we should finish this quickly!"

Cyrus motions into a slow walk towards the Plague Demon. "Lissa, it's likely going to use its elemental attack this time since its bindings are free; use Mana Guard." As Lissa raises her shield, he disappears from sight again; he reappears a short distance in front of the Plague Demon before several visible ripples slice at the opposition's form. The Plague Demon reels back at this, but remains steadfast as it preps a punch as a counterattack. Cyrus rises from his crouching position to sheathe his weapon, though he makes no effort to dodge. Clarisse motions to charge in and assist him, but hesitates upon seeing Valerie warp to the space above Cyrus. She makes use of Fatal Reap one last time, severing the head of the Plague Demon and ending the encounter. As the enemy's head hits the ground, an audible click sounds through the area once again, marking that Cyrus' weapon has been fully returned to its scabbard. "Child's play, really."

Valerie separates the Plague Demon's mane from its corpse to take as proof of the party's victory. She then gives her weapon a few twirls before securing it to her back. "Not a bad fight; a decent enough workout." She smiles at him. "I'm feelin' pretty good with this Cradle Edge, by the way; thanks."

"Only the best for my little flower, of course." He looks to the rest of his comrades, a soft smile upon his countenance. "Excellent work, Seekers; any injuries?" Everyone shakes their heads. Crouching down to pet Balto, he says, "You did well to keep everyone in good shape after that initial pummeling; this is to say nothing of that clever use of Hunter Shot."

"All the credit for the latter goes to my mistress."

When Cyrus extends his praise to Clarisse, she blushes and looks away from him. "Well, you know; Spirit Mama and I make a pretty good team." Before anyone can speak another word, she grabs Diana by the hand and leads her further into the expanse. "We should get going." The others shrug at this before following after the duo. The door leading out of this expanse awaits on the western end, and leads to a branch with two choices – a door and a continuation of the path that was already being traversed. The party steps through the door to mark the small clearing beyond it, but leaves without investigating it thoroughly. Clarisse soon finds herself standing at another branch. "There's a whole lot of map left at the bottom, right?"

Cyrus nods to this, as does Lissa. The latter says, "This path will probably be a bit like the 19th floor of the Lucent Hollows; the ascending pillar is probably really close by, but this group of divergent paths will either force us to go around or will give a treasure chest for our troubles." She shrugs. "Either way, we gotta get to it." Taking the southern path first, she realizes that there is a pit before the party. She takes another look at the map, soon noting that, "We could have lowered the gravity to fly over this back in the room with the Plague Demon…crap, there's a chest over there, too!" Cyrus proceeds north to the dead end up ahead. "Did you find something, Cyrus?"

He takes a knee to study the burnt up ground beneath him. He notes that "These burns don't look natural." He looks around to see that the nearby trees have also been scorched, one of which having been carbonized outright. ' _Now that's just peculiar._ ' Further observation reveals some broken tree branches have been scattered about, and a bush has been partially burned. He rises up to take a closer look at the tree. "Yeah, this was burned at an extremely high temperature; for such a flame to be this localized, it had to have been deliberate." A quick scan with the Runic Eye turns up with no results. ' _I'm not sensing any residual aether, so magic wasn't used?_ ' Looking to Diana, he makes a request. "Mom, could you make use of Detect Mana to search for any nearby sources?"

She complies, but her results are identical to his own. "Nothing for it, Cyrus; is something the matter?"

He looks back to the tree, and then the rest of his investigation options. With a shake of his head, he follows, "No, it's nothing; we can investigate this later." After marking this location on the map, he makes way for the remaining path with his comrades. As they reach E6, another pit is revealed to bar the path. "Well I'll be damned, we probably should have lowered the gravity before continuing forward. That treasure chest is beyond our reach, as is the area holding it." After unlocking the shortcut leading to the descending pillar, and discovering the Chop Point of this floor, the party proceeds down the remaining path in hopes of finding the pillar that ascends to the 25th floor. ' _I wonder what the 5_ _th_ _Stratum Boss of Iorys will be._ '

Arriving at the western end of the inaccessible expanse that contains the treasure chest, Diana can only frown at the sight of the third pit before her. "Whoever designed this is quite rude." Rounding a bend, she takes note of a green light. "Ah, the pillar is right here." As she and her comrades approach the pillar, Diana senses the presence of another. Turning around, the mysterious girl is seen approaching. ' _She just warped here._ '

The girl performs a curtsey in greeting, though her expression is as straight-faced as it has been. "Well done making it thus far." She looks over the Seekers; her gaze is gentle, though it retains her usual distance. "I bore witness to your duel with the Plague Demon; you have grown stronger since your battle with the Crystal Dragon." She pauses for a moment, seemingly to look over the party once again. "Before we continue, I would know the names of those with the courage and skill to challenge this place." The party members greet themselves in sequence, bringing a soft smile to her face. Her eyes are less distant now, if only slightly. "May the great tree raise you to ever greater heights." Everyone looks to Cyrus as the Mysterious Girl says this, causing her to adopt an inquisitive expression. "Is something amiss?"

Pointing at Cyrus, Clarisse says, "Co here is afraid of heights."

To the girl's surprise, Cyrus adds an honest addendum to the claim; "Deathly afraid, actually."

"I would not have suspected as much; you carry yourself well in the face of adversity. Ah, but my manners; you may call me Arken. I am the one who watches over these lands." She pauses again, this time to collect her words. "Since ancient times, I have awaited those who would scale this maze."

Folding her arms at the notion, Diana says, "So you have a lifespan that far exceeds that of mortals, though I can't say for certain if you're immortal as I am. Have you chosen to not live amongst the people?"

Arken shakes her head to this. "From days of yore, I have kept my interaction with those outside of the tree to a minimum. The stories of old that would compel the people below to congregate to these lands…were all penned by my hand." Clarisse's eyes widen at this notion. "The four races of Arcania; each culture has passed down myths and legends - it was all for the sake of guiding the capable. Only when the capable reach the summit will my long watch be at its end."

Cyrus asks, "Which summit, the 25th floor or the 30th?" Arken falls silent, momentarily breaking eye contact. Cyrus chuckles at this. "I can understand your apprehension; I usually don't get this far ahead of myself when I'm in this world. Allow me to indulge you; the summit of which you speak is the 25th floor, correct?" She nods. "That is where the Seekers shall start, then."

"At the heart of the floor above is a chamber. Once you reach it, I shall explain the truth in full." Looking to Cyrus again, she notices his left arm is wrapped in bandages. Pointing to it, she asks, "May I ask how you acquired that arm?" He offers an explanation of the effort he and Valerie undertook; upon completing this tale, Arken seems pleased. "To think that humans would have progressed so far; you and your Guild make for interesting people, Ebon Herald."

He offers a short bow in reply. "You honor me, Arken."

"For the sake of this world, as well as your own, I wish for you all to ascend to the top. Though you appear to have renown beyond the reach of Arcania, I would have this fame rise even higher – for you to become legends."

Cyrus chuckles at this, catching the girl off guard. "I'm not sure about becoming a legend, but if you need us to slay a god or two, we can certainly manage that." Arken breaks her stoicism to shoot Cyrus with an incredulous look. "Yeah, that does sound ridiculous now that I play it back in my head, but this is what we do. Think of it as boasting if you like, but this is just the role the Seekers have taken over the years. If that is what we must demonstrate upon reaching the heart of the 25th floor, then so be it." Arken nods to this, but speaks no further before teleporting away from the area. "Let's map out the rest of this area before taking our short break; we'll then take care of what we missed before Fiona's party."


	54. Eternity's Moment

**Chapter 54: Eternity's Moment**

The plan to explore what remains beyond the door in A5 of the 24th floor is met with exasperated sighs and disappointed expressions. Beyond the door lies a path that transitions into a long narrow corridor. At the end of this corridor is nothing of note; the path simply ends. Unable to accept this at face value, Cyrus and Clarisse both push themselves to thoroughly explore the place, the hour striking 7PM as the reality sets in – their efforts were wasted. Dejected, the leader removes a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket and warps his allies back to Iorys.

Clarisse opts to transform into a rabbit; she climbs onto Cyrus' right shoulder, declaring that her feet hurt and that she no longer feels like walking. Though Balto is ready to reprimand her for such behavior, Cyrus holds up a hand to stop him. He scratches under Clarisse's chin, eliciting some sort of defiant noise that is contradicted by her efforts to get him to continue. He notes that this is acceptable. Upon warping out of Yggdrasil, Cyrus instructs the others to return to the inn while he and Clarisse turn in the completed map to Prince Ramus.

As the pair steps into the prince's study, he rises to greet them. His usual pleasant expression is quickly replaced with barely restrained confusion as the sight of the rabbit upon Cyrus' shoulder graces his vision. "Good evening to you, Cyrus; you appear to have made a new friend." The rabbit speaks up, revealing herself to be Clarisse. "Beg your pardon? Clarisse, why are you in that form?" He receives a brief explanation, one that becomes ever clearer once he takes a look at the map Cyrus hands to him. "This floor was certainly no insignificant undertaking."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "It doesn't help that we had to engage a Plague Demon towards the end."

"Sir Logan has told stories of his encounters with that FOE; you seem to be alright, but should you not be resting at present?"

"We still have a party to get to after this; Fiona is the birthday girl, and you're welcome to join us, Prince Ramus."

Ramus adopts a contemplative stance upon hearing this, his brow furrowing as he concentrates. "That would explain why Aria was so adamant in requesting that I take a break on this day." He nods to himself, though to what notion neither Cyrus nor Clarisse is privy to. "It is true that my duties were light today; I have finished all that was on my itinerary." He nods again, his soft smile returning. "I shall turn this map over to our copiers, and then inform the guards of my departure."

As the trio steps into Jenetta's Inn, they are greeted with the sight of Balto, who appears to have been sitting patiently as he awaited Clarisse's return. His tail begins to wag, though his expression is as straight-faced as ever. Clarisse jumps down from Cyrus' shoulder to properly greet her Hound; the two exchange no words, instead butting their heads together. Clarisse then looks back to Cyrus, her eyes expectant. He sighs at this, smiling as he takes the small rabbit into his arms.

Fae rushes over to greet the group who just stepped in, offering a curtsey to Prince Ramus before hugging Cyrus. She looks up to see the rabbit in his arms, which causes her eyes to sparkle. "Aw, what a cute bunny!" She calls to Amy, who practically warps in front of Cyrus. "Check out Uncle's new friend, Aunt Amy; isn't it really cute?" Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Is this a boy or a girl? C- May I name it?"

"Munchkin, it's me, Clarisse." She is immediately snatched out of Cyrus' arms by Amy, who takes to nuzzling their cheeks together. Clarisse lets out a yelp of surprise at this. "Stinger, what are you doing?!" Another shriek escapes her as Amy rubs their noses together. "No, stop that!"

"I can't help it; you're just too cute!" She then pulls Clarisse away, allowing the rabbit to see the displeased expression upon Amy's face. "How come nii-chan gets to see you transform and I don't? Why does he get to hold you while you're cute and cuddly and I don't?!" She directs her furious expression at Cyrus, who immediately holds up his arms to show that he is unarmed and not dangerous. She returns her focus to Clarisse, her expression easing into something much softer before she hugs her companion close. "Ah well, I can't stay mad at you. You're gonna make it up to me, though; we're gonna be snuggle buddies starting tonight."

"We're gonna be what now? Co, help!"

Amy shakes her head to this. "Sorry, nii-chan; no boys allowed."

"Um…my sister has spoken? I cannot go against her wishes, Reese."

"You traitor! You always spoil her! Balto, help."

This brings a smile to Amy's face. "Ah, good idea; Balto can be Valerie's snuggle buddy. We'll make it another slumber party." She looks to Balto and asks, "Would you like that, Balto?" The Hound nods in reply, his tail wagging to convey the joy that his face will not. Amy nods in turn. "Then we are in agreement; come, let us find Valerie to inform her of the upcoming arrangement." She steps away from the group, Clarisse's protests fading into the distance as they draw closer to the other party goers.

Fae looks up to Cyrus and giggles. "Aunt Amy is weird sometimes." This comment evokes a laugh from Cyrus, and even gets a chuckle from Ramus. Fae then becomes fidgety; her voice is somewhat uneasy as she says, "Uncle…I made you a gift, but I used your cauldron without permission; was that OK?"

"Certainly not." His stern and immediate response causes her to flinch. He crouches in an effort to match eye level, gently placing a hand on her head to show that he's not entirely upset. "The gesture is certainly appreciated, but alchemy is dangerous." He looks over her form, and is surprised to find no injuries. "You don't seem to be hurt, but there's no telling what could happen if you were to pull a similar stunt." He sighs, a soft smile settling on his expression; Fae is currently unable to look at him, her gaze directed at the floor. "Now don't make that face; I'm not mad at you, little one – I just don't want you getting hurt because of me."

Ramus says, "Why not show Cyrus what you made, Fae? I'm curious myself."

She reaches into her bag to pull out a well-made candle. Resting within a cylindrical glass vessel is a mold of wax, pale pink in color; the candle's wick is composed of brown material, but is notably covered in a film of white wax. Fae hands this over to Cyrus. "Aunt Gwen told me you have trouble sleeping at night…and I've heard you talk while having nightmares." Cyrus falls silent to this, his expression a mix of both shock and shame. "Candles help me relax when I get super nervous about my exams, so I wanted to make one for you." As Cyrus accepts the candle from her, she can see a single tear stream from his right eye; a soft smile is on his face as he studies the candle. "Uncle? You OK?"

"This is well-made, little one." He removes the cap of the candle so that he may sample its scent; a peculiar mix of fragrances dance around his nostrils. Of immediate note is the hint of citrus intermingling with a collection of various floras. At the heart of this dance is the scent of spicy vanilla, which serves to accent the aroma's components. He sets the candle inside his bag, opting to pull Fae into an embrace. "This is a wonderful gift you've made, Fae; thank you."

"Y- You're not mad?"

"No, of course not. Your heart was in the right place." He pulls away from her, looking the child in the eyes once more as he follows, "If you wish to practice alchemy, I'd be happy to teach you; just promise me that you won't tend to the cauldron alone until you're properly ready."

Fae nods to him, holding out her right fist with her pinky extended. His expression suggests that he is unsure of her intentions, to which she says, "Aunt Amy told me that promises are super important to you. I'm your niece now, right?" He nods. "Then that makes me a Coelistis, too." She waves her arm up and down, wordlessly signaling Cyrus to wrap his pink around hers. "A Coelistis never breaks a promise; I won't do any alchemy stuff on my own until I'm ready." The two shake on this. "That's a promise from me to you, Uncle." She giggles to herself as their pinkies separate. ' _I sounded super mature just then, I bet~_ '

Cyrus picks up Fae as he rises to his feet. A chuckle escapes him as he directs his attention to Ramus. "Often times, I feel as if I don't deserve the people in my life, Prince Ramus; they're too good to me."

"I need not tell you that such blessings are well-earned, Cyrus, for I believe you are aware of this, deep down." He directs his attention to the dining hall, from which a commotion can be heard. Looking to Fae, he asks, "Might you be privy to the happenings of the dining hall, Fae?"

She nods. "Fi-Fi is having everyone go up against Ari in arm-wrestling matches."

Cyrus chuckles. "I suppose every queen needs a champion." The trio steps into the dining hall to find Aria preparing to begin a match against Evelyn. Melissa and Stacy cheer their comrade on with great fervor; Lissa and Shizuna are cheering Evelyn on as well, requesting that the Masurao avenge their defeat. Cyrus shades his eyes at the sight. ' _Aria bested Shizuna and Lissa? Really?_ ' He looks to the left to see Fiona sitting upon a makeshift throne. Beside her is a second throne, upon which Hayato sits. Matching crowns adorn both of their heads; though Hayato's expression and disposition are neutral, Fiona boasts a notably smug demeanor. Her right leg is crossed over the left, and her left cheek rests on her left fist. A raven is perched atop the woman's left shoulder, raising a wing to hail Cyrus. ' _This sight is disturbingly fitting for the dress we forged._ '

Fae is set on the floor before Cyrus makes his way over to Fiona. She doesn't take note of his approach, keeping her focus on the arm-wrestling match about to occur. "Come now; is there no one capable of matching my champion?" Cyrus steps into view, making brief eye contact before dropping to one knee; he gently takes Fiona's right hand into his own before placing a fleeting kiss upon it. His head hangs low as he greets her, which elicits a chuckle from the woman. She lifts her head to free her left hand, which she then places beneath Cyrus' chin to level his head so that their eyes meet. "Welcome home, my king. You kept me waiting and wanting, so I hope you're ready to make amends. I hunger."

"What shall I prepare to sate you, my queen?" A smirk traces upon Fiona's lips as the question is presented. ' _Wait, mistakes might have been made._ '

"I am certainly spoiled for choice this year, but I think I shall settle for proper food instead of the tasty morsel knelt before me. You are tasked with preparing donburi; I desire your signature, the very same one you cooked in Armoroad…it has been too long." He rises to his feet before bowing to Fiona. She looks up to him, her smirk ever present. "I trust you won't disappoint, love."

"Certainly not." As he motions for the kitchen, he calls to Amy and Valerie, his voice but a whisper, yet reaches the two all the same. They are at his side in a matter of seconds, with Amy cracking her knuckles and Valerie tying her bandanna to her forehead. The two ladies move to the kitchen ahead of him to prepare the cooking station. He stops his advance beside Evelyn, who appears nervous about her upcoming match.

"She's a tough one, Cyrus; the hope of the people rests with me." She looks up to him, a smile of confidence on her face as she asks, "You'll support me, right?"

He leans in to place a gentle kiss upon her forehead before looking her in the eyes as he replies, "Be it here or Erdboden, I will always walk with you, my dearest Swift Sparrow." He then walks away, continuing his trek to the kitchen without waiting to see the aftermath of his actions. A powerful aura erupts from Evelyn, akin to a rushing torrent as it disrupts the balance of everyone in the dining hall. Cyrus subtly directs his attention to the remaining two members of the Nomads, giving a thumbs-up without speaking further. The two nod in silence.

Hayato looks to Fiona. "We're strange people."

She chuckles in reply. "That we are, my dear Steppin' Prince; that we are."

With the hopes of the fallen acting as the winds beneath her wings, as well as the unanticipated power boost granted by Cyrus empowering her resolve, Evelyn defeats Aria, though not without struggle. Logan looks to Ramus as he absently comments that, "I'm surprised they didn't destroy the table."

Ramus nods, adopting a contemplative stance as he says, "To be true, Aria is quite a destructive force when she gets serious." When dinner is complete, the trio of chefs emerges from the station armed with serving platters. The guests of the inn swiftly take their seats in preparation of the feast to come. As a bowl containing his serving is set down in front of him, Ramus peers into said bowl to ascertain its contents. ' _Let's see here…_ ' Within the bowl are lightly scrambled eggs, still somewhat runny in texture, mixed with thick slices of salmon arranged in a ring formation atop white rice. Upon closer inspection, the prince can see that there are slices of onion resting directly beneath the salmon. As he reaches for a pair of chopsticks, he notices that the salmon is clad in a coat comprised of some sort of sauce. He looks to the chefs as Amy and Valerie take their seats. "Pray tell, did you marinate the salmon?"

Valerie smirks. "Good eye, my apprentice. It is as you say; Amy suggested we marinate the salmon in tsuyu and sesame oil before setting it atop the rice."

Amy dons a proud expression, humming a brief and triumphant tune before she follows, "We were originally going to provide three choices for dipping sauce, but the table would have become cluttered; instead, we soaked one of the options into the salmon directly." She looks to see that Gwenivere, now returned to her human form, is rapidly consuming her bowl. "M- Milady, you should pace yourself."

Gwenivere sets the bowl down, revealing its interior to be bereft of any trace of its former contents. "How's this for pace, dear sister?" She looks to the right, smiling at Cyrus as she says, "Seconds, love." When he nods, Gwenivere hands over her empty bowl; in its place, Cyrus places a new bowl – his own – into her hands. Gwenivere's expression beams as she places a kiss upon his cheek. "You have my thanks." She then returns to her feast, albeit at a pace that is more in line with Amy's suggestion.

Fae looks to Cyrus and asks, "Uncle, what are you gonna eat?"

He rises from his seat, a chuckle escaping him. "I'm not one for seafood, little angel; I'll fetch myself a new bowl containing only my essentials."

As Cyrus disappears into the kitchen, Jenetta can be heard humming to herself. "This fish is so fresh~" Looking to Gwenivere, she follows, "It's such a shame that Cyrus can't handle seafood; he doesn't know what he's missing."

Fiona frowns at the notion. "We tried to convert him while he was in Armoroad; that was a fool's effort."

Amy asks, "How are the others doing, anyway?"

"Suzie is getting Shinji and Alan involved in her nefarious plots, no doubt. Last I heard from those three, Shinji was getting ready to plunder some newly discovered sunken temple."

Amy's eyes sparkle at the mention of a temple; her mind wanders to the treasure resting within. "Ooh, what's he hoping to find?"

"A jewel to use for Suzie's engagement ring." Amy gasps at this, clasping her hands together; Fiona chuckles at this. "It's no surprise; Shinji was quite taken with her, even back then." She pauses for a brief moment. "I sure hope I can make it back in time for the wedding; I'd hate to miss it."

Cyrus returns to the dining hall; despite not having been present, he seems to have heard Fiona's dilemma. As he takes his seat, he says, "Before this journey is complete, I should have an item developed that will ease such concerns, Fiona." She arches an eyebrow at this claim, but says nothing in response. "This endeavor will put my alchemy training to the test." He nods to himself as a nostalgic smile forms upon his lips. "I devised the Return Formula back in Etria, but that was limited to one-way travel from the Labyrinth back to town. My new focus is to devise a means of warping that allows for not only travel across the realm, but also inter-dimensional travel."

Stacy and Aria stare at him blankly, giving a simultaneous flat delivery: "What."

A chuckle escapes Cyrus in turn. "It does sound absurd, doesn't it? Of course, that is the path of an Alchemist; you can hardly make progress without going off the rails."

Aria takes a look at Fiona, whose expression suggests that none of what Cyrus is saying bothers her. "You're really gonna marry someone this crazy?"

"This isn't even his craziest idea." Jabbing a thumb in Gwenivere's direction, she follows, "Lady Gwenivere told me that one of his creations can flash freeze a country."

Cyrus sputters his drink, choking in turn at Fiona's audacious claim. He quickly wipes his face before attempting to dispel such notions. "Beg your pardon? The only creation of mine boasting such…such catastrophic power is the Frost Point, and that's only after certain modifications are made to the recipe. I haven't told anyone about that."

Gwenivere smirks, sending a chill down the spines of all who catch sight of it. "You shared the modified recipe with me and me alone, my darling." Cyrus' mortified and surprised expression tells everyone at the table that not only does he not remember such a thing, but if his wife's words ring true, then complications are certain to also arise. Gently grabbing hold of his chin, Gwenivere's grin shifts to become a catty smile. "You were ever so tired that evening; the captain of that pirate crew you and Amy befriended put in a large commission with the Mage's Forge, and-"

Cyrus interjects out of reflex. "Ah crap, I remember that day."

She chuckles maliciously. "Then I need not speak further."

"Fae, I take back what I said before; don't grow up to be a woman like Gwen…be like Evelyn instead." Evelyn blushes at his comment, hiding her face behind her hands.

The child salutes him, a smile on her face. "You got it, Uncle!" She takes a moment to look over Evelyn's features. "Hm…katana are hard to use." She looks to Cyrus as she asks, "Is it OK if I learn how to use regular swords instead?" He nods. "This'll work~"

Time passes as the group dines together. Karoline and Fae fall into slumber soon after their meals are consumed, prompting Shizuna and Gwenivere to take the two upstairs so that they may rest in proper beds. When the hour strikes 11PM, Logan and Aria elect to escort Prince Ramus back to his quarters; though the prince wishes to stay longer, he does not present any objections to the duo charged with his safety. As they depart, Jenetta bids the prince farewell, reminding him that he is always welcome to drop by. The remainder of the group disperses, save for the chef trio and Jenetta, who all work in unison to tidy up the inn before settling in for the evening.

As promised, Amy hosts a slumber party with Valerie, Clarisse, and Balto. To Amy's own surprise, Clarisse assumes her rabbit form without a fuss, allowing the Pugilist her desired snuggle buddy. Amy pulls the rabbit into her gentle embrace, opting to nuzzle their cheeks together before flopping onto the bed in a manner lacking grace. Valerie and Balto have already fallen asleep at this point. Clarisse comments on the sight, "I guess the fight with the Plague Demon tired her out." She lets out a yawn before nestling within Amy's grip. "All that walking is what got to me." She looks up at Amy to find that her companion has yet to fall asleep. "Hey, Stinger? What's the 6th Stratum like?"

"The 6th Stratum for Armoroad was the interior of an Eldritch Abomination." Clarisse's beady eyes go wide at this. "The 6th Stratum, as I understand it, is quite different for each Yggdrasil Labyrinth. Nii-chan has explored the Claret Hollows of Etria, the Cyclopean Haunt of Armoroad, and the Hall of Darkness nestled in the far reaches of Tharsis' Outlands. Lissa explored the Forbidden Wood atop the skies of Lagaard alongside Raven, that branch's leader; she was with nii-chan for the Hollows, too." She takes a moment to think on what to say next. "If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say Iorys' 6th Stratum will be another biome within space, but far more dangerous than the Untamed Garden."

"You think we'll be ready for it?"

Amy responds with a nod, as well as a gentle smile. "Our allies are strong, and we all make a formidable team." She holds her ally a bit closer, making herself comfortable as her own drowsiness begins to take over. "You have nothing to fear, Reese."

Within another room rented by the Seekers, Cyrus and Hayato sit together at a small table. Both are armed with tall glasses filled with water. A scented candle burns as the two scribble in their notebooks. A pleasant scent has settled amidst the room's air, courtesy of the candle Fae made for Cyrus. Fiona stands beside Diana on the balcony; she takes in a deep breath to sample the scent spilling forth from the room behind her. "The little one has a talent for alchemy." Diana nods in agreement, but says nothing. "Tell me, Diana – Are you a vessel for an Erdboden god like Cyrus?"

A small smile traces upon Diana's lips. "So you know a bit about our world's workings. Aye, child, I am the vessel for Etria, the Goddess of Earth. We often refer to her as the 'Earth Mother'."

"Wait…she shares a name with a town in my world?"

"She originally went by 'Etruria', but eventually decided to change the spelling and pronunciation to make things less awkward for her subjects."

"What's she like?"

"She's a shop addict." Diana need not glance in Fiona's direction to know what face her companion currently wears. "Indeed, one of my most sacred duties is saving the woman's wallet from her own decisions. The two of us have known each other for many millennia now; she's not just a goddess I serve – I consider her as close of a friend as Denise." An abrupt pause strikes the woman, causing her to look to the ground level below to gather her thoughts. The members of the Freeblade Guild soon step into view; Conrad is carrying the sleeping form of Franklin in his arms as Jilian walks beside him. A gentle smile is upon her face; the two onlookers from above take note of Jilian subtly moving closer to Conrad, chuckling at her efforts in turn. Abel looks up and waves at the pair, prompting the rest of his comrades to do the same. Diana and Fiona wave in kind.

"What's it like…being a vessel, I mean."

"Cyrus never told you?"

"He said it was nothing special, but I thought that was just because he and Lord Shinryu never talk." Diana snickers at this, holding a hand to her mouth to keep herself from breaking into full laughter. "I'm serious."

"He wasn't wrong. Being a vessel doesn't bring with it any special abilities. Our job is to serve as information conduits for the god we're connected to." Fiona tilts her head at this. "Having a vessel allows a god to observe the world without exerting too much influence on the populace." She chuckles, turning her gaze to the stars above. "The path we walk is a curious one, child; even with six thousand years behind me, I still cannot reliably predict the future." She looks back into the room beyond the balcony, her gaze falling onto her son; a small smile forms as nostalgic thoughts of days past begin to resurface. She turns back before long. "Since you're a part of his harem now, shall I share with you some of his embarrassing childhood stories?"

Fiona places her hands together, a devilish grin forming her countenance. "Oh, certainly; please do~"

A shiver runs down Cyrus' spine, prompting him to look towards the balcony. ' _Strange, I felt an ominous chill…_ ' When Hayato inquires to his well-being, Cyrus quickly shakes his head. "Pay it no heed, Lord Hayato; it has passed."

"If you're certain…are you drawing up another battle plan?" Cyrus nods. "Is this one just to kill time?"

Cyrus shakes his head in reply. "I intend to run this setup against the boss waiting for us at the heart of the 25th floor." He rotates his combat journal and pushes it towards Hayato so that his comrade can read it. As Hayato's eyes begin to scan the pages, Cyrus elects to add a supplementary verbal explanation. "We're going to bank on inflicting Sleep to setup Valerie's use of Fatal Reap."

"It looks like Amy is going to make use of a Titan Killer boosted by both Heavenly Aid and Overexertion; the turn order for this is going to be rather restrictive, is it not?"

"The only real concern is whether or not I can put the upcoming foe to sleep." He rests his elbows on the table, tenting his fingers as he runs the setup through his mind. A momentary distraction graces his mind in the form of a memory. He lets out a bemused chuckle, which elicits an inquiry from Hayato. "I recall that a member of the Etrian Branch used to tent her fingers like this whenever she needed to think. I hope Lily and her world's version of Nagato are well."

"What was that version of my father like?"

He chuckles. "A real hothead, that one; obsessed with strength. This particular Nagato is a half breed – part human, part demon." Hayato's expression lights up in surprise at this. "He's part of the Wolf Clan in his world, though he never really gave us any details. I never pried, but I suspect he was a wanted fugitive of some sort; his mannerisms suggested as much."

"The two you've known are so different from my own."

"That's the beauty of alternate worlds, I suppose. I don't have a counterpart in this world, but one such counterpart does apparently exist in Lily's world." He shrugs. "No clue what the bloke is like, though; I'd like to meet him if fate would allow it."

"I can't imagine him being terribly different from you." Just as he is ready to make a follow-up statement, Fiona bursts into laughter; she holds her stomach with one arm while trying to stifle the volume of her voice with her free hand. Diana holds a hand to her mouth in turn, though she is far more composed. "What do you suppose they are discussing?"

"Something nefarious and unbecoming of the subject, no doubt." Returning the subject to the battle plan, he says, "About the plan banking on the affliction of Sleep, I'm fairly confident with Black Mist in our back pocket."

"Are you going to use Haze Slash or Sleep Gas?"

Cyrus shakes his head. "I have yet to decide. It doesn't matter as far as Turn Order is concerned, I think; Amy's use of Titan Killer should execute before I can move, even with the investment I've put into improving my action speed."

"You should practice it to be on the safe side." Cyrus nods to this. After taking a sip of his drink, Hayato sets his glass down on a coaster; he stares at a drop of water formed by condensation as it runs down the outer side of the chilled glass. "To think, we've almost cleared all of Yggdrasil in less than two months."

"This is only counting the first five Strata; the 6th could pose a myriad of problems for us."

"You think so? I figured our synergy was superb by now."

"It is. Do not misunderstand, Lord Hayato; for all of our worth, the 6th Stratum is the final test." He closes his eyes, reflecting on the labyrinths he's explored thus far. "Of the three I've explored, Etria's Claret Hollows were something else, though the final obstacle waiting at the end of Tharsis' Hall of Darkness was arguably the strongest foe I've ever faced in any labyrinth." He chuckles. "It's kinda funny, considering the trip through Tharsis was the easiest of my three previous journeys."

"Where would you rank this adventure?"

"Second-easiest, so third place." Hayato's mouth goes agape at the lack of hesitation. "The journey through Armoroad hit that branch with many issues; a lot of the creative setups we tried simply did not work with that region's rules. It was also the first adventure where I had to acclimate to not having my left arm." He shrugs. "On its own, I'd place it just slightly above Tharsis in terms of difficulty, but well behind Iorys; I'm more experienced now, so Iorys was at a natural disadvantage from the start."

"And what of Etria?"

He shakes his head. "In a class all its own. That labyrinth was a lot like this one in that its standard denizens were relentless; some enemy sets simply did not align with us. There is but one key trait of Etria's encounters that puts Iorys so low in comparison."

"What would that be?" His attention is focused as he asks this, as if in suspense.

"Fleeing combat is actually feasible in Iorys' Yggdrasil. Back in Etria, getting into combat meant you were in it for the long haul. The amount of time you'd waste trying to run away from an unfavorable encounter would have actually been better spent facing the encounter proper." He visibly shudders, his expression now ghastly. "I will not miss those days spent combing the depths of the claret-red caverns. Even if I were to go back, experienced as I am now, I can still see that Stratum giving me no shortage of trouble." His recounted tale is interrupted as a hand is placed on his shoulder. Turning to face the addressor, his eyes are graced with the sight of Fiona; he returns his focus to Hayato as he follows, "The Cyclopean Haunt was just annoying in comparison. Aside from the Revelationer, things weren't so bad down there."

Fiona scoffs at this, adopting a dubious expression as she asks, "Love, have you already forgotten about the Vampire Trees? Those back-stabbing dastards…"

Diana opts to ignore the conversation at hand in favor of scanning the open pages of Cyrus' combat journal. "Hm…a setup just for Valerie? Might this be a gift or a final exam?"

"Why not both?"

Diana smirks at this. "That's my boy."

Cyrus rises from his seat to snuff out the flame of the burning candle; when the leftover smoke fades, he places the lid back on top of the candle. He takes a moment to stretch, letting out a satisfied groan as he does so. "What a day this has been." Looking to Fiona, he smiles as he asks, "Did you enjoy your birthday, dear?"

She walks over to pick up Hayato, whom she holds close. "You bet. Good food, good friends; what more could I have asked for?" She rests her chin on the top of Hayato's head, grinning at Cyrus as she follows, "You even cooked for me; that's a real victory."

A notable frown is present upon Hayato's face, though he makes no real effort to struggle free from Fiona's grip. "Cyrus, every day is like this with her when you don't take us into Yggdrasil."

Puffing out a cheek, Fiona lets out a huff. "I keep telling him that he should appreciate being doted on by an older woman."

Diana chuckles at this. "The lad is probably used to it; he is a prince, after all." Fiona's eyes widen at this, suggesting that she never considered the notion. She turns Hayato around to look him in the eyes. When she asks if Diana's words are true, the prince simply breaks eye contact. Diana laughs. "I figured as much. Carry that composure with you into the future, little prince; I suspect you'll need to fend off many more potential consorts in the future."

Hayato looks to the Guild's leader with pleading eyes. "Cyrus, I need you to teach me."

"Certainly. Here's your first lesson." He walks over and takes Hayato from Fiona. Looking directly at the woman, he says, "Terribly sorry, my queen, but the prince needs to retire for the evening."

The woman rests a hand on her hip, striking an indignant pose in her silence. Her expression is suddenly cold and judgmental. "Alright, I'll bite." Hayato recoils at the shift in vocal tone, not used to hearing Fiona's voice being so frigid in its delivery. "What's his excuse?"

"Same as yours." Fiona arches an eyebrow at this, turning her head to give a sideways glance conveying her suspicion in a way words would be ill-fit to replicate. "The two of you are going to assist me in beginning Fae's sword training tomorrow, of course." He sets Hayato onto one of the beds before walking over to grab Fiona's hand. He stares into her eyes with a soft smile upon his countenance. "That means you'll need your rest in turn, my queen; come, we shall retire as well." To his surprise, Fiona complies, putting up no resistance as she walks at his side towards the bed.

Diana lets out a chuckle at this. "Take notes, little prince; I have taught my son quite well." She chuckles again, albeit with a notable tinge of mischievousness. "He will surely teach you well in turn."

As Fiona climbs into bed and settles under the covers, she gives a passing comment directed at Hayato. "Your dance lesson is still occurring, Steppin' Prince; we'll incorporate it into Fae's lesson."

"Y- Yes, ma'am." He looks to Cyrus, who gives a thumbs-up that Fiona is unable to see. ' _This man is dangerous._ ' He looks to Diana, who merely nods with a smirk on her face. The woman returns to the balcony, rather than retiring alongside her comrades. ' _Master Annora might be even more dangerous, actually._ '


	55. Gravity Rush II

**Chapter 55: Gravity Rush II**

The following morning, after Fae's basic sword training is complete, the Seekers sit down for breakfast. With no pressing duties to attend to, Jenetta sits down to dine alongside her patrons. She listens with her usual smile as Cyrus and Gwenivere praise and brag about the natural talent of Fae, who is too busy enjoying her food to be embarrassed or bashful. "You know, seeing everyone like this, it's hard to believe that you guys are already on the 25th floor." She cuts up a few more pancakes, lifting a trio with her fork as she follows, "The Labyrinth is almost cleared, huh…" A sad countenance takes over her expression as her fork is lowered to the plate and her ears droop. "My dear guests won't be here for much longer."

Cyrus chuckles at this, bringing Jenetta's attention to him. "There will be a 6th Stratum, Jenetta; we will remain here for awhile yet." Her ears perk up at this as her smile returns. "There's the Jenetta we remember." He sits back in his seat, lightly motioning his glass of orange juice around as he stares at the solution within. "Still, we are nearing the 5th Stratum Boss; I'm a bit worried."

"Worried about what, Uncle? That the boss might be too tough?"

He chuckles at this, patting Fae on the head. "Not quite, sweetheart. I have no doubt that our strength is up to par. My concern lies with how we're already at the 25th floor, but we have no information on the upcoming engagement."

Hayato tilts his head at the notion. "Why is that an issue? Don't we usually go in blind?"

"We do, yes, but that's only as far as the boss' options are concerned. For every 5th Stratum boss that the Seekers have faced thus far, we've always had the means of anticipating who or what our opponents were going to be, and often times we could infer what abilities they would possess."

Lissa takes a swig of her drink before offering an explanation. "In Etria's 5th Stratum, we had to face Lord Visil, who made use of his abilities as a part of the Yggdrasil Tree." She takes a moment to pause and think on the matter, attempting to recall any important aspects of this old encounter. "Our encounter with Lord Visil was looming over our heads as early as the 4th Stratum, becoming a foregone conclusion half-way through the 5th Stratum's first floor."

Following up on this, Fiona says, "For Armoroad, it was quite clear that, had we not figured out a way to mediate the growing conflict between the Senatus and the Deep City, we were going to face the Deep King and his trusted vassal."

Jenetta asks, "Who'd you fight instead?" Fiona's face scrunches up in disgust, as well as Amy's; the Fencer explains that their final opponent for the 5th Stratum was known as the Progenitor. "Huh…doesn't sound like you have fond memories of that one. What about Tharsis?"

Cyrus nods to this, a wistful smile tracing on his lips. "We faced the Heavenbringer, the core of Tharsis' Yggdrasil Tree gone berserk. The encounter was a foregone conclusion as early as the 4th Stratum." He sets his drink onto the table as he follows, "The boss for Iorys' 5th Stratum is largely unknown, and our only opportunity to gain any intel on it will arrive just as we reach the heart of the 25th floor." He shrugs. "That bothers me." Looking to Lissa, he asks, "Was High Lagaard like this?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. The Overlord was the ruler of the 5th Stratum; he had legends passed down about both himself as well as the Heavenly Keep he governed. The Seekers didn't just have pre-knowledge of the man, he was baked into the very culture of those native to the region."

"Huh. I guess not having any info on our 5th Stratum boss is kinda weird."

Gwenivere nods as she says, "It's just as well, considering Iorys has been divorced from its Yggdrasil Tree for such a long time." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Are you going into the labyrinth today?"

"I am. I shall take the Chain Squad through the 25th floor."

"Ah, I see. Hm…" She looks to Lissa and asks, "Elizabeth, darling, would you be a dear and take my spot within the Chain Squad?"

Lissa tilts her head at the question. "Sure, I don't mind but why? You haven't been to the 5th Stratum in a while, you know."

Gwenivere waves a dismissive hand at the notion. "Very true, but having you around will bring greater consistency." Lissa shades her eyes at this, which only brings a smirk to Gwenivere's lips. "Darling, we're in public; you know what those eyes do to me."

"Uh huh, right. I feel like your sense of pragmatism is being used to veil something." She shakes her head. "Besides, why me specifically?"

"Hm?" Gwenivere's expression suggests that she is legitimately confused by Lissa's question. "For Dragon Roar, of course. Our beloved often struggles with maintaining enemy aggression prior to stacking Ray of Light. With you present, garnering that enmity will be simple." She grabs hold of her drink, raising a pinky just as she lifts it. "Being present in your place will bring no shortage of complications; after all, I am a front-liner, and this Stratum is not friendly to my lot." She takes a drink, setting her glass down with a content sigh. "Quite delicious as ever, my dear Jenetta." Looking to Lissa again, she says, "If Cyrus possessed less costly means of assisting the entire party in evading attacks, I'd be more willing, but as it stands, you're the superior choice."

Cyrus frowns at this. "I just wish Ray of Light increased my evasion instead of defense; sure, the defense boosts act as a much needed reprieve when I make mistakes, but making it easier to dodge would limit the chances of those mistakes happening."

Resting her cheek in her hand, Fiona says, "Yeah, you Phantom Duelists should have gotten Speed Up instead of us. I focus on Chain Skills, which are prepped at the start of any given moment, so it's not like my action speed needs to be improved." Glancing at Hayato, she follows, "Acting slower is also helpful for buff control; you always want Lord Hayato to put on a prayer first."

Hayato looks to her and asks, "Doesn't that increase accuracy and evasion as well?"

Fiona nods. "Yeah, but I don't recall ever struggling with accuracy of all things; and if I need an evasion boost, I'll just rely on Sylphscreen." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "I read your combat journal, by the by; I am looking forward to seeing how far you push that passive…I do wish you'd be in the party, though."

"Sorry, Fiona, but unless we'd be willing to chance not having Dragon Roar, I wouldn't be that much help." He holds his chin in his hand as his eyes shift to gaze at the table. "At best, I'd only be able to provide High Ground as a Masurao." He downs the rest of his drink before rising from his seat. "Everyone ready to go?" His party nods in turn, bringing a smile to his face. He looks to Fae as he says, "Little one, grab your Air Bodens."

The first stop on the party's trip is the Twilight Tavern. Stepping inside, they can see that a few of Mirina's early morning patrons are here. Jaimie the Hunter raises a hand to hail the group, which they return silently. Stepping up to the proprietress, they extend a vocal greeting. "Good morning, Seekers." She takes a moment to look over the party, gauging their features and how they've changed since she first laid eyes on them a month ago. "So this is it, the end of Yggdrasil." She chuckles. "Well, if Cyrus' assertions are to be believed, it's only the end of the 5th Stratum."

A smile forms on Fae's expression as she says, "We got here really quickly."

"You and your friends certainly did, Fae." Mirina ruffles the child's hair as she says, "You're all about to realize a dream countless explorers chased but couldn't grab." She removes her hand as a sad but nostalgic expression forms her countenance. "That includes me." She looks to Cyrus as she says, "A while back, you asked me how I always know what you guys wanna order in advance."

Cyrus nods to this as he replies, "I recall you answered with the implication that you were once an explorer."

"I was. What I didn't tell you was my chosen class; I am…I was a Necromancer, a Spirit Broker in fact." The party's eyes go wide in shock at this; Mirina chuckles at the sight. "I summon wraiths to help me out here." With a wink, she follows, "I suppose I haven't lost my touch since Cyrus can't see them and Hayato can't sense them." She has a laugh at their expense. "Challenging Yggdrasil showed me the limits of my skills. I didn't get as far as I would have liked, but it brought me comfort knowing that, someday, someone else would make it in my place."

Folding her arms, Lissa asks, "Does that have anything to do with your tavern?"

"Got it in one. I wanted to support other explorers; this job of ours is tough and dangerous." Her expression shifts to one of sadness. "So many days where I'd greet paying customers…only to never see them again after they walk out the door." She shakes her head. "Being a Necromancer, I'm no stranger to death, but…"

Cyrus holds up a hand to stop her. "It hurts, knowing that almost all of your customers run that risk of dancing with death."

"Yeah. I never dared to think that I'd see someone go this far in my lifetime, but then you all stepped into the tavern." Her soft smile returns, as does the warm glint in her gaze. "I know I worry about you guys, and I'm gonna keep doing so, but I recognize your skill. No matter what happens next, I know you'll come back to me." She smirks. "So, when you take care of this floor, I'll be here waiting for when you get home."

The party departs from here, next making way for the Explorers Guild. Along the way, the group passes by another organized protest centered on Corona Mayberry. The Guildmaster stands outside at the building's entrance; his arms are folded, with the motion of his head suggesting that he's scanning the area. He takes notice of the Seekers, and holds up a hand to greet them. "Well met, Seekers. Judging by the aura exuded from you all, I assume you're heading to the 25th floor?" They nod to him, eliciting a chuckle. "I figured as much; only a month has passed since I first sent you all into Yggdrasil." He looks to Fae, a soft but proud smile on his face, though it cannot be seen by the others. "Young Fae was so nervous back then, but look at her now."

She giggles at the praise, placing her hands behind her back as she shuffles in place. "I still get nervous sometimes…"

"As do all explorers, child; you should be proud of how far you've come. You have witnessed first-hand the sort of difficulties an experienced Guild must face; many would shy away from such a challenge, but you remained steadfast. I have no doubt that you will continue to strive for the height of your potential with your allies at your side."

"I- I'll do my best, Guildmaster."

He nods to this. "Good luck with your work today, Seekers; I expect great things from you." The party salutes him before departing. As he watches the Seekers fade into the distance, he thinks to himself, ' _Perhaps the time for my own challenge is close at hand…_ '

The party arrives at the Geomagnetic Pole of Iorys, where Ramus stands with Logan at his side. The two are not presently engaged in conversation, instead gazing upon the Geomagnetic Pole. Though Ramus does not look to the Seekers, his words are unmistakably addressed to them as they draw near. "This city has come a long way since you all arrived." A soft smile forms upon his face, with a hopeful glint giving his eyes a notable shimmer. "We stand on the precipice of solving Yggdrasil's great mystery." He turns his head to look at the party, his beaming gaze almost infectious. Logan stands with a smirk on his face, though he does not let the prince see it. "You're heading into the labyrinth, yes? I shall wait for you here in the city for when the big news arrives."

Performing a curtsey, Lissa says, "We won't fail you, Prince Ramus." She scratches at her cheek in a sheepish manner as she says, "Though…I can't guarantee that we'll take care of the entire floor in just one run."

"I understand. Go at your own pace. Good luck to you, Seekers." As the party disappears in a flash of light, Ramus finds himself unable to drop his smile. "I suppose we, too, have work to do, don't we?"

"Aye, Milord. Shall we set off in turn?"

"Yes, let us be off."

Stepping up to the 25th floor, the party is immediately met with two shortcut markers, both exit ends. The clearing harboring the pillar that descends to the 24th floor is quite spacious, with Lissa noting that the area is well suited to being fashioned into a campsite. Cyrus marks this location on the map, but the party elects to press onward without cooking anything. Not far from the descending pillar is a gravity console, which brings a frown to the faces of both Cyrus and Lissa.

"They're starting off early this time, I see." Looking to Cyrus, Lissa asks, "How should we pair up?"

"Fiona, you hold onto Hayato." Fiona salutes him, a smile plastering onto her countenance as she carries out his order with glee. Hayato frowns at the development, but makes no struggle. "Lissa, you're with Fae." Fae climbs onto Lissa's right shoulder before giving a thumbs-up to signal that they are both ready. Cyrus nods to this before activating the console to lower the gravity. "I'm not terribly fond of doing this so early, but we haven't a choice."

Looking to him, Lissa asks, "You gonna be alright, Cyrus?"

He smirks. "Would you care to cradle me in your strong arms, love?"

"I mean…I wouldn't mind…"

This ultimately goes without coming to pass. The Seekers move forward beyond a glowing pit to find themselves in a giant expanse. At the southern end of this expanse, tucked away in the corner of F3, is a tall patch of Forest Wheat; the party elects to leave this patch without harvesting the crop. Returning to the western end of this expanse presents the party with a problem. Looking around, Hayato can see two avenues worth traveling.

"We could hug the edge of the floor, gradually combing the western edge, or we could take to the north." After taking a moment to think on the matter, he points to the west. "Let us judge that route first." Upon reaching the glowing pit located in F1, Hayato takes note of an opening the party cannot reach due to how the gravity works. "This entrance would wrap around to F7, but there's no way for us to get in here."

Fiona frowns at the sight. "That would suggest that the opening is a trap that we should avoid once we reach the other side." Combing the outer perimeter puts the group back at the entrance of this large area. Taking a look at the map Cyrus has drawn so far, Fiona can see one opening that is readily accessible. "We're heading north from here, I guess." Her guess is true, bringing the party to a narrower region located in D2. Looking to the right, the party can see a trio of enemies approaching. "Three Stone Steeds incomi- wait." The stone equestrian creature within the center of the formation is notably different, sporting a primarily black color scheme with red lines evoking the sense of veins. "The Hell is that?"

Drawing his sword, Cyrus braces himself on a tree. "Lord Hayato, Haste Prayer; Fiona, prep Chain All; Lissa, Dragon Roar." He glances at Fae as he gives one last order. "Fae, they resist Blind, but try a Dark Bomb all the same." Fae tosses the bomb immediately, frowning when she is met with failure. "Pay it no heed, little one; I'll make do." Feeling the effects of Haste Prayer and Dragon Roar take root, he tosses his sword at the steeds. Instead of warping to it immediately, he snaps his fingers to summon a collection of swords composed of ice. He fires these at the enemy trio, distorting their vision.

Both Stone Steeds attempt to trample Cyrus, only to miss their mark as he warps to his sword. He thrusts his blade at the targets, feeling around for any openings he and Fiona might exploit. Sensing aether in the immediate area, he tosses his blade at a tree to avoid a bolt of lightning. Fiona and Lissa are not so lucky to avoid this attack, resulting in the latter of the two being turned to stone. Channeling aether into her blade, Fiona braces herself on a tree to use Chain Freeze. She watches as Cyrus plants himself in the center of the enemy formation. ' _Is he serious?!_ ' The effects of Bolt Prayer are placed upon her and her allies, prompting a glance at Hayato. ' _I appreciate it, Steppin' Prince._ ' She then watches as one of the Stone Steeds and the magic-wielding statue are both blinded by Fae's second attempt at Dark Bomb. Fiona chuckles at this. ' _Good work, Fae._ '

Cyrus suffers a kick from the one Stone Steed that wasn't successfully blinded, but the damage is not nearly enough to incapacitate him. ' _OK, I take it back; those three stacks gave me enough defense to maintain consciousness…I'd still appreciate an evasion buff, though._ ' The second Stone Steed attempts to kick him, only to be flipped over and stabbed three times. "Nice try, pal!" Fiona flies into the fray, catching Cyrus by surprise. She gives a single thrust imbued with electricity, followed by a proper Chain Freeze follow-up. ' _Lure is truly obscene._ ' He dodges another bolt of lightning from the black statue, granting another chance to counter attack. Fiona charges in once more for another thrust, followed by a proper Chain Freeze follow-up.

Taking refuge behind a tree, Hayato braces himself against his hiding spot before reciting a short prayer. A gentle pale light shines above Lissa, healing the damage done to her petrified form. ' _She's losing Haste Prayer, but she should be fine._ ' Following up on this, Fae floats over to Lissa and places an herb on her throat; in a few short moments, her petrifaction clears. Cyrus flies over to grab hold of Hayato before kicking off the tree to another location. Before he can ask why his comrade did this, he sees that one of the Stone Steeds was charging at his location. "Thanks for the save, Cyrus."

As the two land against the trunk of another tree, Cyrus tosses his sword at the Stone Steed he just worked to avoid. "Think nothing of it." He then warps away, leaving Hayato to his own devices. After wrenching his blade from the steed, he jumps away towards the other enemies to give Fiona and Lissa the chance to strike the target he baited. These two take the bait in turn; Cyrus dodges both, counters, and then changes his position to allow Fiona and Lissa their clear opening.

Hayato tosses a yellow card into the air, placing a pale yellow aura onto his allies. Taking note of this, Fae realizes that, ' _The Prince used Split Spirits._ ' She then tosses a bomb at the enemy trio to trigger the effects of Smokeblight. ' _I need to help everyone do more damage; if we beat the monsters with this, I'll only have to heal one of us._ ' She jumps to a nearby tree to avoid the oncoming Stone Steed that failed to strike Cyrus. ' _Yikes!_ '

The steeds commit to a full offense, only to be dodged entirely; as recompense, the Seekers unleash a counter volley that slays the opposition. With the battle concluded, the party takes a moment to breathe a collective sigh of relief and assess the damage. Looking to Fiona, Cyrus asks, "You alright, Fiona? You were struck by one last lightning bolt that inflicted Curse."

"Yeah, I'm alright, thanks." Looking to Lissa, she says, "I'd be more worried about your wife over here." She smirks as she follows, "She's taking after you, what with her shrugging off being turned to stone to shoot that statue in the face."

Lissa shrugs at this. "That's hardly enough to keep me down, Fi-Fi." Turning her attention to the shortcut marker nearby, she clicks her tongue in frustration upon realizing that it, too, is an exit end. "Bollocks to that, I guess; we're heading east, everyone." The party flies by a treasure chest that they won't be able to reach while the gravity is lowered. Though she wishes to ask Fiona if she's alright, the aura of greed and impatience tells Lissa that the concern is best left unvoiced. As she and her comrades exit this giant expanse from its central eastern section, Lissa finds herself studying the map alongside Cyrus. "There's a northern exit that we can reach, huh?"

"Indeed. I wasn't expecting us to use this exit." As 8AM rolls around, the party finds itself in what appears to be the center of the entire floor. A lone door stands within a spacious clearing. Cyrus frowns at the sight, knowing that whatever lies beyond is out of his party's reach as a result of the gravity. "Why do I get the feeling that the boss is beyond that door?"

"Uncle, that would be too easy…and really rude since we'd have to wait." She looks at the map while perched on Lissa's shoulder, noting the symmetry. "Oh no…I think Uncle is right; labyrinth designers are really rude." She frowns, her usually cheerful green eyes flaring with anger as she says, "That means we can't get the shortcut either!"

Fiona, Lissa, and Cyrus take a look at the map, slapping a hand to their heads as they exclaim, in unison, "Bloody Hells, she's right! Damn it!"

Continuing east from this disappointing location, the party flies over what Cyrus identifies as an ideal fishing spot. "I would very much like to return to the ground now." The party pushes further east from the fishing spot in F5 to hit the edge of the floor at F7. "Hoo boy, we just barely missed the entrance that would wrap us around to F1." Taking a look at the map, he realizes that aligning with this very entrance will lead to further progress. "Actually, this is the only path we can travel." The group is sent spiraling inward as the corridors they fly through become narrow in scope compared to the broad size of the expanses that came before. Another treasure chest is passed by, prompting Cyrus to look at Fiona. Her face is featureless at this point, which only causes a bead of sweat to roll down the side of his head. "It'll be OK, my queen; those chests shall be yours to pilfer."

"They shall suffer dearly for withholding what is rightfully mine."

' _Yep, another one to add to the list of women to never anger._ '

The entry-point of a shortcut is discovered and promptly unlocked, allowing the party free access to the eastern side of the floor. Alas, there is no gravity console to bring them back to the ground level, and they haven't the luxury of triggering the one at the start of the floor since doing so would bar off all progress. A groan escapes Cyrus at this realization, but he presses on with his allies regardless. The group reaches a door in E6, the first one of the floor to not be out of their reach.

As the party opens the door to float into the room beyond, they do so knowing full well that this next area is a den of FOEs. A Clawed Fiend can be seen in the distance; it struggles to maintain its footing against the lowered gravity. The party motions towards the right, only to meet a Plague Demon at their destination. Lissa face-palms; "Crap, I thought that thing was heading left!" She looks to Cyrus, readying her shield as she asks, "What's the plan?!"

"We'll engage!" He draws his sword while triggering a Union Skill between himself and everyone in the party except for Fae. As the effects of the Black Mist take hold, he braces himself to charge into combat. "We need a Dark Bomb!" He snaps his fingers to cast Phantom Swords, gritting his teeth as he realizes that Fae's efforts yielded no results. ' _Should've let the debuff settle before casting Black Mist. Nothing for it._ ' The effects of Haste Prayer and Dragon Roar are applied, prompting him to standby for the Plague Demon's offense. Five bolts of lightning are fired upon his location, all of which he dodges by tossing his sword at the enemy and warping to it. He unleashes a multitude of thrusts into the beast to buy his allies more time to setup.

His efforts are rewarded, for Fae's second use of Dark Bomb successfully impairs the creature's vision, allowing everyone in the party to avoid the next use of Repel Calamity. Hayato pulls a card from his summoned stock to cast the Blaze Prayer. ' _It would have been safer to choose Bolt, but my faith wasn't misplaced._ '

Though he would have preferred if all five bolts had been directed at him, Cyrus' successful evade allows Fiona and Lissa to attack via Lure all the same. Against its own better judgment, the Plague Demon continues to make use of Repel Calamity, allowing the Seekers to capitalize on its lack of accuracy and continue counter attacking. The Plague Demon falls without much fuss, allowing the party to breathe another sigh of relief. Sheathing his sword after harvesting the creature's mane, Cyrus looks to his allies with a smile on his face. "Excellent work, Seekers; I dare say that was an even swifter victory than the last one."

Fiona's expression suggests that she is taken aback by her own team's efficacy. "Holy crap, we were amazing."

Holstering her cannon, Lissa smirks as she places Fae back on her shoulder and looks to Fiona. "This is what you've been working towards for years now, Fiona; you have every right to be happy with those results."

Floating over to his designated companion, Hayato says, "With a bit of tweaking, we can truly get the most out of Lure and your Chains; to be honest, I'm looking forward to seeing you use Resonance at full power."

Fiona smiles at this, taking Hayato into her arms and holding him close. "I won't let you down." A second Plague Demon proves to be quite the persistent force; in spite of having the energy to face it in combat, the party elects to flee until they can properly escape through a door located at C7. Through this door is an atrium of sorts that grants the party a brief respite. When the hour strikes 10AM, their flight continues. A door awaits at the end of this atrium, leading into another large expanse. The sound of something heavy colliding with a tree reverberates through the area. "I think there are Puffer Sparrows in here."

Pointing ahead, Fae brings attention to yet another Plague Demon. "We're just gonna avoid those now, right?"

Cyrus affirms this with a nod. "Easy though the encounter may be with this setup, I'd rather not fight Plague Demons all day." As he and his group arrive at the northern-most edge of this expanse, he comes to realize what is expected of the party if progression is its aim. "…do we really have to run a circuit like this?"

Taking a look at the map for herself, Lissa's eye begins to twitch in anger. "Cyrus, we better not have to go through a pattern this stupid."

"I don't think there's any other approach, love." Much to their relief, the Plague Demon is exploited via horizontal preference, preventing it from boxing them in with the Puffer Sparrow. This, in turn, allows the Seekers free passage to the door that lies beyond to the east. This door exits into a cramped and winding corridor that has three points of note. One is a dead end to the south; the other two are part of a branching path that ultimately leads to the same area. "No, seriously. Where is the gravity console?" In his usual effort to be thorough, Cyrus leads his party to explore the region of the floor contained within A2, A3, B2, and B3, only to find that the entire area, despite taking an hour to chart, has nothing in it. "This entire section has nothing! Literally nothing! What?!"

Lissa lets out a groan of frustration, to which Fae responds by patting her on the head. "Reminds me of Etria's labyrinth; that's just plain terrible." Returning to the expanse that lies to the south, the party easily bypasses a Puffer Sparrow and a Clawed Fiend. ' _There's always a catch to this._ ' As she watches Cyrus interact with a gravity console that is eventually revealed to reside within the edge of C2, she realizes what the supposed catch is. ' _Oh shit, no._ '

Taking note of the mortified expression on Lissa's face, Fae asks, "What's wrong Aunt Lissa? Do you need to use the girls' room?"

"I just realized we have to walk all the way back." Fae tilts her head at this, not understanding Lissa's point.

She directs everyone's attention to the map that Cyrus has drawn so far. The floor is complete, but it is only now that the Seekers realize that the reason the hour has yet to strike noon is because they were flying for much of their exploration. Cyrus' face goes pale as his eyes convey a look of abject horror. "Oh gods no." He scans over the map, realizing that all of the FOEs that were skipped must now be countenanced. "Bollocks! We should have slayed that Plague Demon in B5 after all!" Fiona grabs hold of his hand and begins to lead him away from this place. "Fiona? What's wrong?"

In addition to unlocking the shortcut that leads back into the first expanse of the floor, Fiona takes Cyrus to the first treasure chest the group had to pass up. Contained within is a sum of thirty thousand ental. The sight is enough to make Fiona sing. With this money in tow, the party begins its long backwards trek through the 25th floor. The trek, though uneventful, does take five hours, placing the Seekers in front of the central door at 5PM just after the final shortcut of the floor was unlocked. The group senses a presence amongst them; this presence is revealed to be Arken, who appears in front of the door.

"You are here. As promised, it is time I told you my story, as well as my purpose for being here." She watches as the Seekers lay down a large blanket and place a spread of food about. "Pray tell…what are you doing?"

Fae walks over and grabs hold of Arken's hand. "You're gonna tell us a story, right? We're all pretty hungry after all that walking, so we're gonna have a snack while you tell us about yourself." Her smile is sincere and unwavering as she says, "Come eat with us!" Arken is given no chance to refuse, for Fae pulls her right along to the picnic blanket.


	56. The Eternal Tyrant

**Chapter 56: The Eternal Tyrant**

Arken, though internally reluctant, complies with Fae's invitation to dine with the Seekers, though it is quite clear that there was no room for negotiation from the outset. ' _Even the child amongst this group is formidable…_ ' She takes a bite out of a sandwich given to her by Hayato; the taste of still-warm fried egg mixed with a thin slice of honeyed ham graces her taste buds. "This is well made."

Fae dons a proud smile. "You like it? Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Amy helped me make it."

Arken gives a nod, as well as a soft smile. "You show promise, Angelic Bomber." Fae giggles at the praise, but says nothing further. Arken takes in a deep breath and exhales, steeling herself for the story that she must tell. "Beyond this door lies the apex of Yggdrasil." She glances back at the door, a forlorn expression taking over her features. "No human has ever been in there, though you all are about to change that." Turning back to the party, she continues, "As the Runic Gale posited, there is more to this place than the 25th floor, but to reach what lies beyond, humanity must overcome one last challenge…or go extinct." To her surprise, no one in the party gives a reaction to this; what's more, Cyrus seems to brush this off completely as he quietly asks Hayato to pass the salt shaker. "Have you lot nerves of steel?"

Lissa is the one to give an answer. "Humanity has faced the threat of extinction on the Seekers' watch a few times now. Whatever lies beyond that door is just another mark on our tally."

After taking a sip of her coffee, Fiona says, "Whatever is beyond that door, it can't be any worse than the Abyssal God."

' _Humans certainly have made progress, haven't they?_ ' She shakes her head, though not in response to her own thoughts. "Your confidence is promising, but you should know the risks all the same. In an ancient past long lost to the annals of time, this world faced imminent destruction. Water ran dry, the air grew thin, and life as you know it was soon fated to perish."

Hayato momentarily ceases his efforts to grab another sandwich to respond to this news. "That sounds a lot like an apocalypse."

"It gets worse. It was around this time when the first darkness was born unto the world. Clad in death, wreathed in evil, this entity threatened to obliterate this earthly paradise. For humanity to continue thriving as a species, this embodiment of chaos needed to be repelled."

Lissa sets down her drink to say, "Thus, this Yggdrasil Tree was born." Arken nods to this. "So all of Arcania owes its existence to this tree?"

"Indeed. The darkness is also sealed within Yggdrasil. The evil within must be exorcised." She rises to her feet, her usually cold gaze now resolute. "This is a request from the Arken: Overcome the evil that arose before the dawn of civilization." She steps aside, as if to silently convey that the door is now theirs to open.

Cyrus rises to his feet, which brings a hopeful glint to Arken's visage. "Alright then. That didn't give me the answers I was searching for, but it is of no matter." Arken tilts her head at this. "We'll be back in about two hours; I promised my apprentice that this upcoming boss would be her time to shine; a Coelistis never breaks a promise."

"Ah, yes, of course; you would undoubtedly need your rest after exploring this entire floor as well. Please, rest up before this encounter; take all the time you need. I shall await you here." The party cleans up their belongings; before Cyrus can activate the spool of Ariadne Thread in his hand, Arken takes a step forward. "I would…like to extend my gratitude; it was nice of you all to include me in the lunch you shared."

Cyrus smiles at this, chuckling in turn. "Think nothing of it; you are welcome to join us any time you like. There will be a victory celebration after we slay what lies beyond that door as well, so I hope your stomach has more room." He activates the Ariadne Thread on that note, taking his party out of Yggdrasil. As he takes a seat in the backyard of Jenetta's Inn, he looks to the clouds to finalize the draft of his plan before running it by the intended party. ' _The rotation is going to be quite tight, as Lord Hayato said; one mistake and we'll be set back quite a bit. We…yes, we will use Black Mist twice._ '

His thoughts are interrupted as Conrad takes a seat beside him. "I heard from Lissa. You're here thinking of a battle plan, aren't you?" Cyrus nods to the question, but says nothing. Conrad takes to looking at the clouds in turn, though he is unsure what answers he hopes to gain from doing so. "Freeblade really fell behind; I've always wondered how you never lose stride."

"This is your first time leading a Guild, right?" Conrad nods to him. "We all start somewhere, Conrad. Try to remember that, despite being the leader, you don't have to handle your duties alone." He looks to his friend as he asks, "Who is your second, Oriana or Abel?" Upon hearing the name of the former, he nods. "She's there to support you, as are the rest of your allies." He chuckles, recalling an important detail that he wished he had known back during his days as a novice explorer. "The labyrinth isn't going anywhere, but more importantly, neither are the opportunities it presents." Where uncertainty used to reside in his eyes three years in his past, now rests a calm resolution. "There may come a day when you're pushed into the spotlight, Conrad. You need not dread that day, nor have you need of lamenting the days you go without it; trust that you'll be ready when the time arrives, as I'm sure your comrades already are."

"Where does that confidence come from, Cyrus?"

"Years of having my friends beat me upside the head with it." Conrad adopts a look of incredulity, shattering whatever illusion he might have had of the proud hero he thought he was talking to. Cyrus lets out a laugh at this. "The real thing is never a match for the legend, Conrad; try to remember that as you and your allies carve your names into history." He rises from his seat, taking note that Valerie is approaching. "It's about that time…" He looks to Conrad as he follows, "Do join us for the victory celebration; we should have quite a story to tell."

A chuckle escapes the man. "I'm looking forward to it."

Valerie arrives at the bench where the Fencer pair converses; she performs a curtsey to greet Conrad before grabbing hold of Cyrus' hand. "The others have assembled in the living room; if your business is done, we should get going, Chief." When Cyrus bids proper farewell to Conrad, Valerie does the same. "Knowing the Chief, we'll be throwing a party after this; please join us if you can spare the time." Conrad laughs at the notion, mentioning that Cyrus just finished making that very offer. Valerie chuckles in turn. "I should have figured; we'll be off then."

As the two walk back to the inn, Cyrus notes that Valerie's grip is firmer than usual, and that her countenance is more serious as well. "You're nervous, aren't you?" His question brings the woman pause, halting their advance altogether. "You've handled all of my previous trials with ease, Valerie; as your teacher, I couldn't be any more proud of you."

"This is the first trial I've set for myself, Chief, the first one not intended to gauge my current level to help devise a lesson plan going forward." She looks to him, her stern gaze unyielding. "For the ten years we've been together, I've always leaned on you for support. In those same ten years, I've watched you tackle much strife on your own; I wasn't there for you…and I know you needed someone."

"You're the one who stopped me from becoming an alcoholic."

She shakes her head to this. "A mere drop in the ocean, Chief; I should have curbed that far sooner than I did; I sat by and watched as you gradually got worse."

"What matters is that you stopped me at all." He heaves a sigh. ' _She's not going to budge on the matter._ ' Accepting this, he says, "I'll support you in your endeavor, whatever it may be, just as I always have. Just…don't hesitate to request my aid if you have need of it."

Valerie can't help but snicker at the statement, breaking all of the tension in the air. "Oh that's rich, coming from you, Chief." She places a kiss upon his cheek before pulling him along again. "I won't forget what you've said, though." When the two arrive at the living room of the inn, she takes a seat with her allies. "Sorry that took so long; this lout was staring up at the clouds with Conrad."

Taking a seat in turn, Cyrus elects to defend himself. "I'll have you know that Conrad needed someone to confide in; I was merely fulfilling my duty as his comrade." The others brush this off with dismissive comments. "Oh whatever. Let's just get started." He looks over the five individuals present; his chosen party for the upcoming battle consists of himself, Amy, Valerie, Clarisse & Balto, and Lissa. "There is little information of our upcoming foe, but our general plan is to setup two decisive strikes to end the battle swiftly."

Continuing his thread, Valerie says, "To this end, Clarisse and I will work to disable the target as soon as the battle begins." She folds her arms as she follows, "We'll need to burn Black Mist to be on the safe side, but the Chief is going to need it for when he uses Haze Slash or Sleep Gas later."

"That will not be a problem; I'll use Black Mist while calling upon everyone in the party except for you. You shall be the one to use Black Mist later to support me." She nods to this, prompting him to continue. "Amy, you're going to be making use of Heavenly Aid to soften the enemy up with Titan Killer."

"You can count on me…the turn window for our buffs is going to be pretty tight, isn't it?" He nods to her. "Yeah, I figured as much; Overexertion's duration is brief. Are we taking any items?"

"Co is bringing two Bravants and some Sleep Gas; we'll use a Medica IV when you trigger Heavenly Aid. Is everyone ready to go?" Her comrades nod to her, so she rises from her seat. "Alright, then let's get this done." The party travels to the heart of the 25th floor, soon arriving at the door that leads into the chamber of their sealed foe. Arken is here, standing beside the door. "Oh, hey; hope we didn't keep you waiting." Arken shakes her head to the notion, but says nothing in reply. Looking to Balto, she says, "These damn bosses are a right pain in the ass when it comes to landing binds."

He nods to her. "Agreed, mistress, but we will work something out." Looking to Cyrus, he says, "We are ready, leader."

He looks to the remainder of the party, who likewise make it clear that they are prepared for combat. "Very well. Lissa, remain on the rear line; I'm suspecting we'll be making repeated use of Mana Guard."

"No surprise there. The only 5th Stratum boss that didn't harness the elements was Lord Visil." She shudders as her mind thinks back on the many terrible encounters the Seekers faced back in Etria. "We picked a horrible town to make our debut, Cyrus."

"Yeah…yeah, we did." He removes his shoulder cape as he steps up to Arken. He holds the cape out to her, eliciting a look of confusion. "I would like for you to hold onto this for me." She takes hold of the cape, draping it over her arms as she brings it close to her chest. He can tell that she has questions, but lacks the words to voice them. "There's no inherent meaning behind the gesture, though I do hope you're not having second thoughts about the trust you've placed in us." Arken remains silent, making no motion to confirm or deny the claim. "We're an eccentric lot, but watch us work."

"Yes…I pray for your success, Seekers. Please be careful."

Cyrus opens the door to the floor's central chamber, and is immediately hit with a rushing wave of enmity. ' _That's some aura._ ' As he and the remainder of the party step inside, the door closes behind them. Arken has elected to remain outside of the chamber, though this is of no particular matter to the Seekers. Looking directly ahead, a still mass can be seen at the chamber's center; this mass begins to unravel, revealing itself to be a creature of draconic origin. As it descends, its features become apparent. The creature's body is primarily black with red accents that glow within the darkness of this chamber; its wingspan is quite long, spanning much of the chamber's already considerable width. Looking around, Cyrus takes note of a few aspects of this room. "I think this creature nullifies Light." He scans it with his Runic Eye; "Hm, weak to Ice."

The creature preps a combat stance, planting its left hind claw behind it and raising its right front claw in preparation for its opponents' first move. The creature stands as a biped, and seems to have no trouble maintaining its current stance. Lissa readies her shield and draws her cannon. "Someone's ready for a fight."

Amy clutches at her chest, suddenly feeling ill as a result of the aura this creature exudes. "It radiates dark energy; just my luck." She steels herself, taking her place between Cyrus and Valerie at the front line. Slipping into her own combat stance, she readies her fists to go on the offensive. "Doesn't matter; you're going down!"

The creature gives a roar to make its power known; though the roar has enough force to emit a shockwave that the Seekers must brace for, it has no effect in deterring them. In response, Cyrus steps forward and gives a roar of his own. "Seekers! Charge!" He rushes in ahead of the others, taking note of Valerie's Miasma Armor triggering on its own. As planned, he activates a Union Skill between himself and everyone except Valerie to blanket the area in a Black Mist. ' _Visibility is poor, but the creature's red accents make for a sufficient marker; Clarisse and Balto should be fine._ ' He watches as the being of darkness is overtaken by a faint purple and misty aura; ' _That's the Wilting Miasma taking effect. Here goes nothing._ '

As Cyrus stabs his katana into the leg of the colossal creature, Clarisse and Balto make a joint effort to bind its limbs. Though seemingly successful in binding its arms, the beast pulls said arms apart to rip the ropes binding it to shreds. Clarisse's eye twitches as she looks at the display with a displeased countenance. ' _Well shit. That sucks._ '

Returning to his mistress, Balto says, "Perhaps we should have waited to go for the bind."

"Yeah, maybe Target Arrow would have been the better opener." She looks to see that Amy has a hand placed on Valerie's back; the Harbinger's body emits a faint red glow before it disappears. "That must have been Overexertion."

The voice of Arken enters the room, though it is soon made apparent that she is not present alongside the Seekers. "Be warned, Seekers; the Eternal Tyrant wields the elements. The physical prowess it commands is not your only concern."

"Heh, I guess Co's assumption was right on the money." As Clarisse glances at Lissa, she can see that her partner is tapping her shield to the ground to bestow the effects of Mana Guard to her comrades. This proves most fortuitous, for the enemy known as the Eternal Tyrant unleashes a powerful stream of frigid winds from its maw. Thanks to Lissa's efforts, the party takes marginal damage, though Clarisse manages to dodge the attack completely. Readying her bow for the next offensive, she says, "Balto, I'm prepping Target Arrow; get ready for a hit-and-run."

As the arrow flies, Valerie takes a drink of a Bravant; she immediately feels the effects of Overexertion sap her vitality. ' _Holy shit that hurts…_ ' She then watches as Amy places the effects of that same buff onto herself. ' _I don't know how she does it._ '

Noticing that the Eternal Tyrant has reared its claw back, Lissa readies her shield. Her eyes widen as the claw outright blends into the darkness. She raises her arm before stabbing her shield into the ground; Cyrus, anticipating the oncoming strike, flips out of the way to avoid taking damage. Amy and Valerie are not as fortunate, though Lissa's precaution reduces the damage they suffer. The claw, much to her surprise, strikes both her and Clarisse even from the back line. Valerie is knelt to the ground, in notable pain. "Valerie, you alright?!"

"Y- Yeah, I'll be fine!" She glances at Amy, who appears to be feeling her way around the immediate area. "That attack blinded Amy; Chief, we need to fix that!"

Lissa has been blinded in turn, though this does not prevent her from launching a counter attack through Counter Guard. ' _OK, I just need to concentrate; I'm glad Cyrus gave me basic magic training back in Armoroad; I can still predict any elemental attacks by making use of the Runic Sight._ '

"Amy, the plan remains; use Heavenly Aid." He pulls a bottle of Soma Prime from a pouch at his side, rushing to Valerie. "Clarisse, you and Balto take care of Amy's ailment. Lissa, keep up the good predictions!" As he reaches Valerie, he helps her drink the bottle of medicine. Watching her wounds heal, he breathes a sigh of relief. "Good to go?" She nods to him, rising to her feet and prepping her scythe. He then tosses the bottle into the air before shattering it with a throwing knife, raining down the last of its contents onto his entire party.

Amy takes a knee and begins to pray; the effects of Overexertion wrack her form, but she remains unfettered. Balto arrives to splash some sort of medicine upon her face. Through her closed eyes, she can make out the glowing red marks upon the body of her opponent, suggesting that her vision has returned. The Eternal Tyrant slams its fists to the ground, sending a wave of debris towards the back line. Having incorrectly predicted which row would be targeted, Lissa's efforts to place the front line under the protection of Counter Guard is for naught. She stumbles upon having her torso struck by a small chunk of rock, but looks to the side as she hears a scream from Clarisse.

The Rover was struck by a chunk of debris; despite her efforts to avoid the attack, her leg was grazed. She now sits on the ground, checking the injury to assess its severity. "I can get around, but I don't think I'll be dodging much of anything…"

Entering a drawing stance, Cyrus looks back to her. "Remain on the defensive, Clarisse. Valerie, Amy; it's time!" Valerie starts the preparations by triggering a Union Skill between herself and everyone except Cyrus. ' _A wise call; I may need to use Black Mist again if this doesn't slay the boss._ ' He holds his position, opting to wait for Amy to charge in and deliver a punch to the Eternal Tyrant's gut. The creature skids along the ground for a considerable distance, but otherwise remains ready to continue fighting, even after Amy delivers a second punch out of reflex. An audible click resounds through the area as Cyrus lunges ahead, disappearing from sight entirely. The sound of his blade cutting along the air is the only indication of his intentions, followed shortly by his target falling to one knee. Cyrus returns to view in front of the tyrant, blade sheathed.

Following up on this, Valerie warps to jump from Cyrus' shoulders. Her mentor snaps his fingers to create a block of ice at the apex of her jump, allowing the Harbinger to dive down upon the enemy with the use of Fatal Reap. A deafening roar of agony fills the air as the Eternal Tyrant awakens to a degree of pain it is not used to feeling. Alas, the creature still lives, prompting Valerie and Cyrus to retreat to their comrades. Feeling the effects of Overexertion wear off, she looks to Amy as she says, "Keep the buff on yourself; I might not get another chance to use Fatal Reap!" Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "I'll head to the back line to recover my strength."

"Right." He spins on his heel now that he is a sufficient distance from the enemy. Drawing his katana, he rears his arm back as he sinks into a stance. As his body motions forward, he disappears once more, quickly reappearing to stab his blade into the tyrant's other leg. The Eternal Tyrant throws him off, but instead of launching a counter attack, it unleashes a roar that causes the bodies of all combatants to emit a brief red flash. Feeling a surge of strength, Cyrus looks back to his allies to see that they are all feeling the same. "A field-wide buff? Since when could enemies do that?"

Lissa clicks her tongue in frustration. "Just like the Colossus, huh?" She sighs at the notion. "Cyrus, our defenses are fine as they are, but when we get a moment we'll want to dispel that buff!" She feels her wounds healing, prompting her to glance and see that Clarisse has tossed a bottle of Soma Prime into the air and shattered it with an arrow. "Much obliged, Reese!" She then takes notice of Valerie tossing her scythe at the enemy after having coated the blade in the green glow indicating the use of Toxic Reap. The scythe maintains its spin as it slices into the flesh of the enemy and returns to Valerie without losing momentum; poison failed to land. ' _OK, how in the Hell did she do that?_ '

At this moment, the Eternal Tyrant motions its arms, causing a purple mist to flow from its body. The effects of the Wilting Miasma have dissipated, prompting Valerie to put forth an effort to re-establish it, triggering her Miasma Armor in the process. Amy, at the order of Cyrus, takes a defensive stance alongside him. She drinks a bottle of Medica III before doing so, courtesy of Clarisse, who has healed up her leg injury enough to boast her original mobility. Sensing another wave of ice magic, Cyrus calls for Lissa to use Mana Guard, which she does without delay. After the party takes the hit, they all make a note on how the attack is now stronger thanks to that field-wide buff that was used moments prior.

Before anyone can make a suggestion towards dealing with this, the purple miasma that was just conjured by the tyrant begins to gnaw at the bodies of everyone present. The Seekers feel a marginal sense of pain, no more than an annoying sting; the Eternal Tyrant flinches from the effects, suggesting that it has suffered more damage than its foes. Gritting his teeth, Cyrus says, "This miasma has some sort of residual damage effect, and I think it's based on how much damage is thrown out!"

Reaching for another bottle of medicine, Clarisse says, "That would explain why the tyrant took more damage from it than we did."

"Amy, prep Heavenly Aid again; we should be able to finish the fight with Titan Killer." She nods to this and begins praying once more.

Clarisse rushes over to administer a bottle of Medica IV to her praying comrade. Valerie tosses a bottle of Soma into the air, which Clarisse elects to shatter with an arrow. ' _I should extend my Miasma Armor to bolster my action speed, but it's better to play it safe._ ' Her eyes widen in shock as the Eternal Tyrant lifts itself from the ground to perform a flying corkscrew directed at Amy; the impact does not incapacitate the Pugilist, but it does send her flying into Lissa, canceling the effects of Counter Guard and sending both into a panic. She rushes to the aid of her comrades alongside Clarisse while Cyrus opts to distract the enemy with another use of Armor Pierce.

As Amy and Lissa regain their senses, they look to the tyrant to see that it has absorbed all of the purple miasma it summoned. Picking herself up, Lissa readies her shield to protect her allies with Mana Guard. Seeing that Cyrus is charging in with Haze Slash, Valerie takes up her scythe to ready Fatal Reap. Amy is the first to reach the target, unleashing Titan Killer. The beast remains stalwart as it continues to prep its attack. Cyrus fails to put it to sleep, granting it the freedom to release a burning miasma from its body. Everyone is blown away by this attack; Amy loses consciousness outright, having drained too much of her own strength through Overexertion. Valerie is unable to connect with Fatal Reap as she is sent into a rolling crash on the ground. Cyrus, Lissa, and Balto are in fighting form, but Clarisse is about ready to collapse.

' _All or nothing._ ' He triggers a Union Skill between himself and the allies that remain conscious. "Valerie, I leave this to you; Clarisse, take care of Amy!" To his surprise, the Eternal Tyrant makes use of its empowering roar again. ' _Big mistake._ '

As Amy rises to her feet, she receives the healing benefits of the party's last Soma Prime. She watches as Cyrus successfully puts the enemy to sleep again, allowing Valerie the opportunity to bring her scythe down upon the creature's neck. The Eternal Tyrant is unable to give a dying cry as its head is severed from its body. It hits the ground with a loud crash, marking the battle's conclusion. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief as the door leading to the chamber's exit slides open. Arken stands at the entrance, her blue eyes shimmering with unrestrained joy. "You succeeded…" She takes a moment to collect herself, at a loss for words as the reality of the situation truly strikes. "You have all performed magnificently."

Cyrus helps Amy to her feet, offering to support her as he wraps her left arm around his shoulder. "There was never any doubt." He glances back at the corpse of the Eternal Tyrant, somewhat surprised that the body has yet to disappear. Returning his attention to Arken, he says, "That was not as clean of a victory as I would have liked, but we made it through, just as I promised."

Arken gives a nod in reply, a soft smile forming on her face. "Very true. I admit to having doubts, even to the end, but I see now that they were truly unfounded." She removes her hood, which causes a flash of light to emit from her form. The party shields its eyes from this flash, and is greeted with the sight of a different being. Arken's form has changed, with her pale skin now sporting a blue aetherial glow. Her hair, once silky in appearance, is now akin to a collection of coral branches that boast a wide assortment of colors. Her robe is now a starry purple, being parted open. The one consistent visual feature that remains is her icy blue stare.

Having recovered from the flash, Cyrus takes a moment to gaze upon the form of the individual before him. "I figured you weren't human, but I was expecting something closer to a member of the Forest Folk."

"The Forest Folk are a product of Yggdrasil; they are as native to this planet as any other." Gesturing to herself, she follows, "I, however, am a member of a race of beings known as the Arken. We came to this world when it was awash in darkness and chaos. Through us, this Yggdrasil Tree was planted, quelling the darkness and bringing forth life."

Arching an eyebrow to the notion, Lissa asks, "How long have you been watching over us?"

"Eons, Firm Bastion. By our hands, your world was guided and nurtured. Though we offered protection, we had hoped that, one day, mankind would become capable of vanquishing the darkness by its own power; our hopes were not misguided, as you have proven." She is surprised to find that Valerie has taken hold of her hand, and is now bringing her closer to the rest of the party. "What are you doing, Ebon Arbiter?"

"We're about to warp out of here; you said you'd join us for the victory celebration, remember?"

Arken finds herself at a loss for words again. "I- I see." She reverts back to her previous form, donning her hood once more. "This is more comfortable."

As the group departs from the 25th floor, the entire Yggdrasil Tree is enveloped in light, catching the attention of all in Iorys. Many of the city's denizens cease their current endeavors to gaze upon the landmark. Egar works to keep the peace alongside the rest of the guard corps. His stoic presence carries much weight as he assures the people that the Seekers are responsible for this sudden glow. He asserts that the glow marks the completion of the labyrinth. A chuckle escapes him. "I must congratulate them upon their return." He looks to the side to find that the remaining members of Seekers are here as well. "A pity you could not be up there to assist them."

Gwenivere chuckles at this, resting a hand on her hip as a confident smirk traces upon her lips. "My presence is not necessary." She looks to the tree, impressed by its new glow. "I hadn't the slightest doubt of their success." She glances around, taking note of the faces of the people. They are all filled with a sense of wonder as they gaze upon the tree. Looking to Diana, Gwenivere says, "He led us to this point, dear mother."

"Indeed. I am glad I could be present for the journey." Upon hearing Fiona chuckle, she asks, "What has you so amused, my child?"

"Our journey is not over yet, mom." She folds her arms, gazing upon the tree with a nostalgic smile upon her countenance. "Now you get to see what the 6th Stratum will bring."

On the outskirts of the city, where the Geomagnetic Pole resides, the Seekers warp into view along with Arken. The combatants all take a moment to stretch as their stress seems to wash away. Amy separates from Cyrus, her fatigue now gone. Before any words can be exchanged among the group, the voice of Solor catches their attention. "I didn't think we'd make it back here in time; how's it going?"

Lili steps from behind her comrade, her usual smile present as she extends a greeting to the party. "It's great to see you again! Did you notice that the tree is glowing?" The Seekers look up to Yggdrasil to find that it is indeed glowing; the glow shimmers beautifully amidst the starry night sky. Cyrus and Lissa chuckle at the sight, standing together as they look upon the sight with pride. The sight causes a thought to form in Lili's mind. "Are you guys responsible for this light?"

Arken is the one to give an answer. "This glow is a result of the Seekers felling the calamity that once resided at the heart of the 25th floor."

Solor's eyes light up at the notion, though she is quick to regain her stoic poker face. She dons a grin as she looks at Cyrus. "Cleared all of Yggdrasil, huh? Not bad, Stabdaddy."

He folds his arms, donning a smirk of his own. "I'll forgive your use of that name for tonight, Solor; I'll even treat you to a celebratory feast."

"Heh, feeding me won't get you anywhere; I'm not joining your harem."

"Oh, trust me; I'm in no hurry to court another woman with your level of sass." Jabbing a thumb in Lissa's direction, he says, "My beloved Lissa is plenty woman enough on that front."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She motions for the group to follow after her. "We should go report to Prince Ramus before letting everyone know the good news." The group makes way for the Council Hall, where Ramus awaits. Lissa and Clarisse are the first to approach him, bowing in greeting. "We have returned from Yggdrasil, your highness."

"We are happy to report that the foe waiting at the heart of the 25th floor has been vanquished. Our exploration of the 5th Stratum is complete." She glances at Cyrus, remembering that he didn't draw anything on the map during that last trek. She then offers a minor correction. "I rescind that remark; we did not have a chance to map out the lair of the Stratum Boss."

Ramus raises a hand to the notion. "Pay that no heed, Clarisse; I am overjoyed to hear of your success, as well as your safe return." He looks to find Solor and Lili are present. "Ah, it is great to see you both again; I trust the Ring of Undying was safely delivered to the Tower of Sorcery?" The two nod, bringing a smile to his face. "Excellent. Now…" his attention turns to Arken. "Might I assume this is the Mysterious Girl you encountered in the Lucent Hollows?" His eyes light up in momentary surprise. "Ah, forgive me, but there is something I forgot." He motions to retrieve some sort of item that the party cannot quite discern. "You are the first Guild to reach the end of Yggdrasil since the Council's creation. On behalf of the Earthlain royal family, I present you with this."

Cyrus is then handed an accessory from which incredible energy flows. Countless jewels decorate the accessory, with each one sparkling more brilliantly than the last. "What beautiful craftsmanship…are you certain that we may have this?"

"But of course; 'tis small recompense for the good you've done for the realm." Once the Orb of Arcania is safely secured with the Guild's belongings, the group works to recount the battle with the Eternal Tyrant, as well as explain the presence of Arken. "How fascinating. To think that our planet was guided by a race of beings working from the shadows…"

Folding her arms, Solor adds, "A race of beings from another planet, no less."

Lili asks, "Now that the Eternal Tyrant is gone, what do you plan to do next?"

"To be honest, I am not sure." She looks to Cyrus before returning her focus to the group as a whole. "I promised Cyrus that I would place my trust in him and his Guild; there is yet more of Yggdrasil to explore beyond the 25 floors you've come to know, as well as one final challenge." A soft smile forms her countenance now, with a glint of hope in her usually cold gaze. "It will be perilous, more so than even the Eternal Tyrant, but I am willing to place my trust in them."

Looking to the Seekers, Ramus says, "I am certain that you all are tired after your battle. Please, take your leave and get some rest. Congratulations once more on clearing the labyrinth." The Seekers bid farewell to Ramus, departing from the Council Hall with Arken in tow. Solor and Lili remain behind, likely to handle some manner of business with the prince.


	57. Taking a Step Beyond

**Chapter 57: Taking a Step Beyond**

Stepping outside of the Council Hall, the Seekers are met with Egar. He looks over the party, his eyes falling upon Arken. "Allow me to congratulate you all on clearing the Yggdrasil Labyrinth. Though Cyrus has told me that a 6th Stratum is almost a certainty, the progress you have all made thus far should be applauded all the same." He steps forward to shake everyone's hand. "I am honored to have watched over your journey, and look forward to seeing its conclusion." Turning his attention to Arken, he says, "Good evening to you, young lady; you are an unfamiliar face. I am Egar, Guildmaster of Iorys."

"Ah, then that makes you the supervisor of all the brave souls who challenged the labyrinth. I am Arken; you have my sincerest gratitude for guiding these souls to me. Your assistance is partly responsible for this day."

"You speak with maturity beyond the years of your appearance." It is now that the group explains Arken's identity. Egar adopts a truly surprised expression upon the explanation's conclusion, though no one is able to see it through his helmet. "Curious indeed. I would love to hear more, should you have the time." Arken nods to him. "Excellent. For now, however, I trust you all have more people to speak with; I will not keep you. Farewell."

The party arrives at the Twilight Tavern, where they enjoy a round of drinks courtesy of Mirina. Despite the uproarious cheer from the nightly patrons, the Seekers are able to share with the proprietress the story of their most recent battle, as well as the new comrade they've found in Arken. Rather than celebrate into the night, the party departs to make way for Jenetta's Inn. Arken is introduced here as well. Cyrus also explains that she'll be temporarily added to the Seekers' lodging expenses, much to Arken's surprise. Cyrus makes no effort to explain further, instead having a laugh at her expense. The man elects to take a seat upon the couch, soon finding himself overrun by Jenetta's housecats. His content expression suggests that this development is within acceptable parameters.

Arken observes firsthand the strange machinations of her champions. From Amy's strange obsession with cute things, specifically her persistence in convincing Clarisse to transform into a rabbit, to Fiona's habit of carrying around Hayato as if he were a stuffed animal; ' _What a curious group of people indeed._ ' It isn't long before Arken finds herself as the subject of Amy's focus. The young woman strides over, her steps careful and calculated. She fails to notice the Pugilist sneaking up behind her, granting Amy the chance to scoop her new friend into her arms. Arken is held close, with some sound of elation escaping Amy that none can rightfully describe. "Beg your pardon, but why are you holding me?"

"Because you're adorable." There is no real opportunity for Arken to question this, for Amy carries her off to the same couch where Cyrus and Jenetta's cats reside. A few of the cats vacate their spots so that Amy might sit beside her brother, electing to laze upon Amy's lap instead after the woman makes herself comfortable. The three sit in silence for a time; Cyrus and Amy both are surprised to find that Arken is not making an effort to free herself from the grip of her holder. "Have you found your burden eased, Arken?"

Arken motions to answer, only to find herself pausing. Amy's usual cheerful and energetic tone is suddenly subdued, gentle and tender in its delivery. She takes a few seconds to consider the question presented, a soft smile soon tracing upon her lips. "Somewhat," she replies, before falling silent again. "…My wait was long; I had begun to fall into anguish when the citizens of Iorys found their progress barred by the Fetid Necropolis." She nestles within Amy's grip, chuckling to herself as Amy giggles in turn. Her somber expression returns, however, when her thoughts return to the subject at hand. "My heart steadily became clutched by a fear, a fear that humanity's limit was already reached."

Cyrus says, "I want to believe that the Nomads would have had things covered in our place." He looks ahead to see Evelyn, Stacy, and Melissa raising filled glasses along with Valerie and Fiona. The ladies all sport cheerful expressions as they loudly enjoy each others' company. "That trio is strong, Arken. Had you not met us, I haven't a doubt that they'd be your champions instead."

"That is high praise, Ebon Herald." Looking to him, she asks, "Are you certain you wish to explore what lies beyond the 25th floor? There is time to turn back." Cyrus snickers at the offer, bringing a shocked expression to Arken's countenance. "I assure you this is no laughing matter."

"I am well aware; I meant no disrespect, it's just strange to have someone so worried for the safety of my comrades."

Amy chuckles at this as her thoughts turn to words she heard long in the past. "You know, Arken, my brother once told me something important while we journeyed through Armoroad."

"What did he say?"

"That those in the spotlight have a duty to the people." She pauses for a moment before continuing, "From the moment nii-chan and the original Seekers started making waves in Etria, the Guild's fate was sealed. Should we ever step back into the spotlight, we'd need to exceed the expectations set upon us, such were the hopes of those who placed their faith in us." A smile is upon her face as she speaks, her voice still sporting its soft and tender tone. "It…is not a matter of ability. If a task is set before us, we must accomplish it, regardless of our ability's capacity to do so."

"What sort of life is that, Sovereign Fist? You are but humans, limited as any other."

Amy has a laugh at this. "True! Very true! But were you not the one who said we were capable of great things?" Arken falls silent, unsure of an appropriate retort. "Those who rally under the Seekers' banner accept this risk, and are free to back out at any point they find themselves overwhelmed. Do you want to know how many people have left our ranks?" When Arken asks for the number, Amy dons a smile; "None." She rises to her feet to set Arken onto her own. Crouching down to meet Arken at eye level, she follows, "One day, the Seekers as they are known now will cease to be of use to the people; a new champion will rise at that time. We'll bow out gracefully, of course, but until that day, we will carry out our duty to those who need us." She then gently pokes Arken's forehead. "That includes you, so enough with the efforts to deter us."

Seeing that Valerie has emerged from the kitchen with a platter in both hands, Amy scoops Arken into her arms once more, proclaiming that the time for the celebratory feast has arrived; Arken is given no chance to refuse as her vocal protests trail away. Jenetta enters Cyrus' view; she holds a large bag of dry cat food, which she gives a few gentle shakes. Her army of housecats bids Cyrus farewell before rushing to the call of the mistress. Cyrus rises from his seat in turn, taking a moment to stretch. As he contemplates his next course of action, Fae and Karoline rush towards him, their smiling faces suggesting that they have already made the decision in his place.

"Hey, Uncle? Is Lord Wrath awake? Karol wants to meet him!"

"Have you…told her what Lord Wrath is?"

She nods, her smile unwavering. "Uh huh! She wants to see a demon up close."

He looks to Karoline, who currently wears an eager expression. Her arms are held close to her chest, trembling with anticipation. ' _The children of this world sure are fearless._ '

Wrath emerges from Cyrus' shadow, taking a knee as he introduces himself to Karoline. Despite experiencing the same reaction from Fae, he is still surprised by the joy on the child's face. "You are Karoline, correct?" She nods twice. "Thank you for looking after Fae." He pats the child on the head, eliciting a giggle. "It does the heart good to see the little one has a comrade she can trust."

Karoline adopts a proud and haughty stance in an attempt to appear taller than she actually is. She taps a fist to her chest. "I'll always be there for Fae; leave it to me, Uncle Wrath!"

"U- Uncle?" He looks back to Cyrus, pointing at himself as if to ask for confirmation. His host merely chuckles. He turns his attention back to the pair to find that they are motioning to grab his arms. "Is there something amiss?"

"Come play with us, Uncle Wrath!" Wrath is given no real opportunity to deny this, for the children never intended to present it as a request. They both climb onto either of his shoulders, making themselves comfortable before he rises to his feet. Pointing ahead towards the kitchen, they shout, "Onward!" Wrath heeds their command without a word, marching toward his fate with little concern. Cyrus shrugs at the sight before heading upstairs. Stepping into the room he shares with some of the others, he steps out onto the balcony, where Diana stands alone gazing up at the stars.

He takes his place at her side, gazing up at the night sky in turn. The two are content to share this moment in silence, offering not even passing glances at one another. Several minutes pass before words are put forward. Without looking to Cyrus, Diana says, "You certainly have come a long way, Cyrus. Denise would be proud to see you now."

He adopts a sad visage at the thought. "You think so? I-"

"Cyrus, your mother may have been a hero, but even she has killed her share of people." She directs her attention to him, her countenance stern. "No one's slate remains spotless, son." She folds her arms as she follows, "You have done far more good than bad, both here and at home." She rests a hand on his shoulder before turning her gaze back to the stars. "It's fine to reflect on your past misdeeds, but not at the expense of ignoring your positive contributions. Perhaps…" She sighs, shaking her head. "Perhaps it will take you some time yet to accept that." She can tell that Cyrus is motioning to make a reply; anticipating the response, she preemptively stops him. "Don't apologize, Cyrus."

Falling silent, he nods to her. "It's…difficult, Mom…difficult to forgive."

"I know that, son. Tonight is not the proper time for such matters; you should be celebrating everyone's victory." She gives a mischievous chuckle, nudging his arm in turn. "Maybe the feat feels mundane since this is the fourth time you've cleared a 5th Stratum, but that just gives me an excuse to chastise you for your hubris."

"Even though you're the one who told me to carry my success with confidence?"

She pokes him in the cheek, not even bothering with the act of looking him in the eye. "No back talk." He rolls his eyes instead, to which she responds by pulling him into a headlock. "You've some nerve, young man!" Cyrus protests by pointing out that Diana wasn't actually looking at him, so her current actions are merely speculative. "A mother just knows these things."

"Uh huh, right, convenient."

"I'm proud of you, Cyrus, truly…I just want you to be proud of yourself."

An expression of guilt takes over his countenance upon hearing this. A lifetime's worth of memories concerning this personal failing returns, deepening his visage. Cyrus' eyes scan about the balcony, but whatever he seeks to find – assuming he has an inkling of what he seeks at all – is not found. "I'll try not to let you down, Mom."

Diana's headlock has long since eased into a gentle embrace; her voice eases in turn. "You never have, Cyrus." She looks back to see Gwenivere entering the room with a bunny held in her loving arms. Curiously, the bunny's eyes are closed. "Not to alarm you, but your wife has brought a bunny home."

He turns around to take in the sight, immediately asking, "Is that Jenetta?"

"Yep! Hiya, dear guest~" A chirp escapes her as Cyrus teleports in front of her. He presses his nose against hers before nuzzling their cheeks together. "Wha- C- Cyrus, this is terribly inappropriate! Gwen, help!"

"My turn is next, of course."

' _I don't know what I expected._ ' When the two are done showering the transformed innkeeper with affection, she leaps from Gwenivere's arms to transform back into her human form. Her apron is absent, leaving only her green leotard to cover her form. A pout forms as she looks to Diana. "Can you believe that Amy and Valerie kicked me out of my own kitchen? I was supposed to cook a feast to celebrate the 5th Stratum's completion!"

Folding her arms, Diana says, "They wish to thank you for the service you've provided." A chuckle escapes her; "It's quite clear how much we love you, Jenetta." She glances at Gwenivere, who is stealing glances at Jenetta's curvy figure. "Some of us…arguably more fervent than others…" Jenetta glances at Gwenivere, who ceases her gawking swiftly enough to avoid being noticed. Looking back to Diana, Jenetta tilts her head, asking to whom the vampire refers. Diana giggles in reply. "Who indeed…"

Gwenivere's voice is lowered to a whisper as she leans towards her husband. "Darling, I'm starting to understand your culture; they are looking to be a most delectable treat right now."

' _I'd be a damn fool to disagree with her, but I'd be an even bigger one to enable this._ ' He nods to her assessment, but instead of voicing how he concurs with the sentiment, he says, "Milady, allow me to escort you downstairs so that you might sample a pitcher of orange juice."

"Hm? Why would you do such a thing, love?"

"Because you seem to be incredibly thirsty."

The rest of the evening is spent with the Seekers enjoying a modest celebration alongside Freeblade, the Nomads, and Aria's Guild. The following morning arrives without ceremony, just like any other. Fae is the first to wake up, finding herself holding onto Gwenivere as she lays between both her and Lissa. ' _Wasn't I playing with Uncle Wrath? When did I get here?_ ' Not willing to dwell on the matter for too long, she sits herself up to look around. Fiona and Hayato are still asleep on the other bed, with the latter held in the tender embrace of the former. ' _Yup, that's normal._ ' She carefully slips out of bed, taking care to avoid waking up her allies. As she closes the door behind her, she looks down the hallway to see Diana, to whom she waves. "Hi, Granny."

Diana steps over to pick up the child, holding her close as she nuzzles their cheeks together. "Good morning, little one; did you sleep well?"

"Uh huh, but I didn't see Karol or Uncle Wrath…"

"You and Karol tuckered yourselves out, so Lissa, Gwenivere, Aria, and Shizuna took you to turn in for the night. Wrath returned to Cyrus; you'll find him downstairs cooking breakfast." She pivots on her heel, a smile forming as her voice takes on a melodious tone. "I hear he's making a pancake platter~" Fae cheers at the news, eliciting a giggle from Diana. "I figured you'd like that."

As the two make their way downstairs, Fae looks down to her arms; due to how Diana holds the child, her sleeves are pulled up somewhat, exposing her forearms. Seeing the faded scars she received some time ago in the Fetid Necropolis, a few thoughts come to mind. Fae says, "I think Uncle Cyrus has been doing better lately."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"We, um…we had a talk way back in the Third Stratum."

"Ah, after the battle with the Luring Phantom."

"When we were up in the 5th Stratum, Uncle wore his Fencer gear again." She then goes to briefly describe some of the encounters she and the others waged en route to the Eternal Tyrant's resting ground; the battle with the Plague Demon, notably how efficiently the battle was handled, brings a smile to her face. "He looked like he was having fun." She looks up to Diana, her face beaming as she follows, "Uncle was looking out for everyone like he always does, but…it felt like he was counting on us a lot more, too." She giggles. "I don't know why, but that makes me really happy."

"You should remember to say that to Cyrus when you get the chance."

After breakfast, Cyrus assembles the Chain Squad, barring Gwenivere, whose place is being filled by Lissa, and makes way for the marketplace with Arken in tow. Here, they sell off the Shadow Dorsalfin procured from the Eternal Tyrant. Leaving Syrik to brainstorm a use for the item, they make way for the Geomagnetic Pole on the edge of the city. The group returns to the 25th floor, specifically to the door that leads into the lair of the Eternal Tyrant. Getting a better look at the place, the party can see that what they once mistook for trees are actually towering red crystals, presumably the true source of the crimson hue perpetually fixed upon this room.

An hour is spent charting the place before the party reaches a closed door waiting at the northern-most end of the area. Arken steps ahead to reach the door first. Turning to face the party, she says, "You have all done well to make it this far; I wish to congratulate you once again on your feat." She looks over the party, her thoughts turning to the previous evening's encounter. She chuckles, closing her eyes as a soft smile traces upon her lips. "To think that, after slaying such a calamity, you all returned to the land below with nary a care; your way of life is certainly interesting. Your strength pleases me." She pauses to gather her next set of words. "You have heard many tales of what awaits at the end of Yggdrasil; fame, knowledge, power, and treasure…all of those prizes can be harvested here. Of course, as the ones to clear the Labyrinth, your names will already be passed down in legends."

Fiona rubs her hands together. "I'm still down for some loot, girl~"

Arken can't help but stifle a chuckle. "How I could I possibly forget your charming avarice, Endless Tempest?" She nods. "To be true, you have all already been rewarded with fame and knowledge. Power and treasure are the remaining prizes." She steps forward to hand Cyrus a ring, as well as a unit of material none in his Guild have seen in this world before. "I grant you these bounties promised by Yggdrasil."

Fae asks, "What are you gonna do now, Ms. Arken? Will you stay with us?" Arken shakes her head, causing Fae to adopt a disappointed visage. "Aw…I wanted to play more…"

"Now that my duty to this planet is complete, I must journey to a new world in need of my help." She looks to gaze upon Cyrus specifically. "My route was once closed, but has opened once again. However…I have lost contact with my homeworld."

Cyrus shades his eyes at this. "I don't like how that sounds."

"We Arken receive directions from our mother planet to travel from one world to the next, but with that communication severed, only two options remain to me. The first is to remain on standby, which would mean remaining here to live out my days as a citizen of Earth." She stops at this notion, momentarily considering the option. "The second is to find another planet by journeying along the cosmic corridor that links this world to the next."

Fiona tilts her head at this, not quite sure of the scope Arken casually speaks of. "So we're talking about a bridge that connects planets?"

"Something like that, though you'll find it is significantly more complicated." A nostalgic visage forms her countenance now; her mind thinks back to the time she's spent watching over this planet and its inhabitants. "It was…once my duty to watch over the Earth, nothing more…but as the centuries passed, I grew to love the people I had sworn to protect. Now that my charge no longer needs me, I wish to lend my help to those who yet do." A guilty expression forms on her face now, one that catches the Seekers off guard. "I would not survive the voyage alone; may I ask for your aid again, Seekers?" She looks over the group, not at all surprised to find each of them with an expectant visage. She chuckles. "A pointless question. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, would be to escort me to a newfound planet. Your reward will be the journey of a lifetime."

Cyrus chuckles. "Oh this ought to be good; we'll happily be your escorts, Arken."

She giggles at this. "You have my thanks. The entrance is just beyond this door. Once you are ready, we will leave this world behind."

The party steps through the door immediately, being greeted with a sight not even Cyrus and Lissa can admit to having previously borne witness to. A tall structure similar in composition to the green pillars of light of the Untamed Garden sits at the northern center of the room. Instead of a gentle green light, there is a swirling portal comprised of a mixture of blues, purples, and black. Cyrus points at the phenomenon, sharing in the nervousness of his comrades, but more composed all the same. "Is that a wormhole?"

"Yes it is; your knowledge surprises me, Runic Gale. You need not fear it. 'Tis a portal made of aether; stepping into it will deliver us to our intended destination."

"That would make it akin to my portals of darkness…may I ask what element was used in this portal's construction?"

"Certainly, though I'm not sure how to explain this. This portal is…non-elemental – it is pure aether at its core foundation."

He adopts a contemplative expression at the revelation. "For this world, that would equate to Almighty; in Erdboden…the Origin." He looks upon the portal again, calling upon the power of his left eye to ascertain its composition. As expected, his eye takes on a grayish glow, identifying the phenomenon as what his home refers to as the Origin. "Fascinating indeed. Needs must I conduct further research." He shakes his head before stepping forward. "Let us be off, team."

The warp lasts but an instant, a feeling the members of Seekers have grown accustomed to through repeated use of Ariadne Threads. When they materialize at their intended destination, a curious sight awaits them. Where the transparent dome protecting the inner contents of the Untamed Garden allowed a close view of the stars and celestial bodies above, this new locale brings the Seekers so close to the denizens of the beyond as to be able to touch them. Here, darkness intermingles with light in a way none would have imagined. Though there is beauty in the stars, the immediate area is blasted, appearing to be in ruins. Debris floats aimlessly, with trees no longer bound to the roots that once coursed through the ground. Large spherical objects that evoke memories of the moon loom about outside of reach; all of these bodies are partially destroyed in some fashion, sending shivers down the party's spines.

Fae motions over to grab hold of Cyrus' leg, unnerved by the sight. "Uncle…I don't like this…"

He places his hand on the child's head, surveying the area to gauge the level of danger. "It's alright, Fae; we'll be fine." He looks to Arken as he asks, "Is this the place?"

She nods to him as a nostalgic smile forms on her face. Taking a step forward, she says, "Behold, the Empyreal Bridge, the interspatial route between your world and my destination." She turns to face the party, adopting a stance that is both apologetic and embarrassed. "I must inform you all that I…have absolutely no combat prowess; I will be entirely dependent on you during the battles we are sure to encounter here." Everyone stifles a snicker at this, breaking all of the tension on the air as the redness of Arken's cheek deepens. "Please don't laugh."

Hayato nods as he takes in the locale. "I suppose you needed us for a reason. Anything we need to know about this place?" He takes a moment to feel about the world around him, quickly noting something peculiar. "The flow of spirits is quite different from what I'm used to."

"This realm exists outside the natural laws that govern Yggdrasil, as well as Arcania."

Fiona and Lissa groan at the information. The latter adjusts her gear as she says, "That means we'll be dealing with things that are beyond mortal comprehension."

Fiona rolls her eyes at the assessment. "Goodie, another bout with Eldritch Abominations – I sure missed that from Armoroad."

Grabbing hold of Fae's hand, Cyrus walks forward to register the Guild to the Geomagnetic Pole of this Stratum. Turning to Arken, he asks, "Might I inquire as to how time functions up here?"

She giggles at the question. "Ever the scholar. Time and space are of little consequence here. Should you need to return to Earth to take care of personal affairs, that is acceptable. I will await you here, but know that, upon your return, it will more than likely feel as if you never left at all."

Lissa's expression lights up at this. Looking to Cyrus, she says, "So it's actually a lot like how going from our world to Erdboden used to work for you."

Fiona's expression perks up in turn as she says, "Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that. How did you manage to synchronize the temporal flow between Erdboden and our world?" She rests a hip on her hand as she follows, "Lissa was worried, you know? Worried that you'd still be 18 while she moved on to her 30s." A sad and fearful gleam takes root in her gaze. "To go so long without seeing the one she loves…"

"I'll have to explain the modifications I made some other time, but know that…I'm glad I succeeded." He turns to bid Arken farewell, explaining that the Guild will need to make a report to Prince Ramus and check on the needs of the people. She accepts these terms, wishing the party good fortune in turn. After making this report to Ramus, as well as turning in the completed map of the 25th floor, the party makes way for the Twilight Tavern. ' _An accessory that nullifies Instant Death…_ ' He chuckles to himself before storing this gift from the Earthlain Prince away. ' _We'll make great use of it, your highness._ '

Stepping into the tavern, the party is greeted by the usual early morning patrons. They take a seat at the counter, as it is vacant, to strike up conversation with Mirina. The group works to give a description of the Stratum that lies beyond the Untamed Garden. "Yet another Stratum, just as Cyrus claimed. You say this one isn't even near the planet?" They all shake their heads. "It's like there're no rules with Yggdrasil, and yet you all seem hardly fazed."

Fae twiddles her thumbs as she says, "Well I'm a bit scared; I haven't seen any enemies yet, but that place is weird." She looks to Cyrus, and then to Hayato, a smile forming on her face. "I am happy that I can keep exploring with the others, though!"

Mirina giggles at this. "I suppose that's the sort of attitude you need to journey through the entire labyrinth. I'll be cheering you on, all of you, so let me know if there's any way I can help." Cyrus smirks at her, a telling sign that he wishes to inquire about any queued requests. She pulls out the clipboard, adjusting her glasses as she says, "Two new requests have been put down, but there are two others that have been sitting on the back burner for a bit." She shrugs. "Do you recall the lizards wreaking havoc in the 4th Stratum?" They nod to her. "Thanks to your hard work, we cleared them out of the 18th floor. A more powerful reptoid has recently appeared on the 19th floor; we believe it to be the boss."

Setting her drink on the table, Lissa says, "Guess we'll need to teach the lout a lesson." Pulling out the Guild's map of that floor, she scans around for a potential hiding spot. Her eyes eventually fall on a door leading to a small area in C7. Pointing to it, she calls for the attention of her allies, who each lean in close. "This might be our destination. We'll handle this, Mirina."

"I leave it to you. The other quest comes from the Council; I'm just going to be upfront – this one's dangerous. Scorpion monsters are running rampant on the sixth floor; the Council needs you to take care of them."

Fae shivers at the thought. "You mean we have to fight those scary-looking purple things again?" She looks to Cyrus, a pout on her face. "Uncle, I don't like scorpions!"

He pats her on the head, chuckling as he says, "I understand your disdain, little one; I'm not fond of centipedes, personally." Looking to Mirina, he asks, "What's the catch?"

"These scorpions are of an entirely new breed, are incomparably stronger than what you're used to, and reproduce incredibly fast." He gives her a blank stare, donning a frown to match Fae's pout. "Yeah, the complete package, I'm afraid. You'll have to clear all of them out in a single run."

Cyrus lets out a loud groan before slamming his face to the counter. "It's one of _**those**_ missions?!" He raises his head to see Mirina marking a region on the 6th floor. "We'll find them here…understood." He rises from his seat, prompting his comrades to follow suit. Turning towards the door, he says, "Let's get to it, Seekers."


	58. Quest Rush

Author's Notes: _Took a bit of an unannounced hiatus to write chapters in advance; I apologize for this. We now have content covering up to the start of the 29th floor, with all but one postgame boss taken care of in turn._

* * *

 **Chapter 58: Quest Rush**

Before setting out for the labyrinth, the party returns to Jenetta's Inn to drop off some of their new acquisitions, namely the two accessories. As they depart from here, their next destination becomes the marketplace; en route, Cyrus takes some time to study the cut of ore Arken bequeathed to the Seekers. "This silvery sheen is akin to mythril."

Hayato looks to him as he says, "I've never heard of that metal before."

"I've never seen a cut of it in this world before, either."

They reach Syrik's shop; the merchant is conversing with Gwenivere on a matter that the group cannot make out. The two place their conversation on hold upon taking notice of the approaching party. Syrik is the first to greet them. "Heya, guys; heard you're exploring the 6th Stratum now."

Lissa chuckles at the notion. "News travels faster than light. We brought you something." She motions her head, to which Cyrus responds by placing the Yggdrasil Mythril on the counter. Syrik's eyes take on a shimmer at the sight, his mouth agape as his words are wrenched away. "Heh, not bad, right?"

"I've never seen this type of metal before…" He looks to the group, all of whom are smiling at him. "Are you sure I can just have this?" Cyrus nods, his own smile persisting. "Thank you so much." In return, he turns over 100 thousand ental, an amount that actually causes Fiona to faint on the spot as she audibly swoons. "Oh crap, Fiona?!"

Cyrus places the woman on his back. There is a smile present on her face, suggesting contentment despite her current condition. "This has happened before; don't worry about her." Looking to Gwenivere, he asks, "What brings you here, love?"

She blushes, uncharacteristically fidgeting in place and avoiding eye contact. "I was trying to keep this a surprise. Do you recall my effort to procure the Hippogryph's Conditional Drop?" He nods to her, donning an expectant expression instead of voicing a reply. "Syrik here has managed to fashion the Transient Pick into a sword, perhaps the strongest blade I've seen in this world." She points at the sword resting on Cyrus' hip. "You've been using the Urumi since the early floors of the Fetid Necropolis, and you've put all sword funds towards Fiona."

He chuckles at this. "I've been waiting for an upgrade, yes, but the upgrade in question has to outdo the speed boost I get when I wield the Urumi." He glances at the sword resting on his hip, a softer smile forming on his lips. "This weapon is as close as I'll get to the Hastebrand."

"Ah…so that weapon has provided a unique boon; I was unaware."

"I do appreciate the thought, Gwenivere, truly, but the sword you're thinking of gifting me would be better off in Fiona's hands."

She folds her arms, a grin forming on her face. "I do love watching you be pragmatic, Cyrus." She then adopts a contemplative stance, her eyes adopting a thoughtful gleam in turn. "But what can I give you…you don't wear armor as a Fencer, nor do you take accessories." She snaps her fingers, likely in response to finding her answer. "I have just the solution. Which Stratum Boss' Conditional Drop yields the strongest katana?"

"In my experience, it's always been the 6th Stratum's Boss." He looks to Lissa as he asks, "Was the case true in Lagaard?" She nods to him. "Yep, then it's gonna be the battle waiting for us at journey's end."

"Well…that…" She sighs. "I do not take kindly to this world toying with me." She watches as Cyrus turns Fiona over to Lissa; he takes his place behind Syrik's counter, a fire in his eyes. Gwenivere giggles at the sight, donning a smirk in turn as she asks, "A burst of inspiration?"

"Consider it prep work for the battles to come." He picks up the Transient Pick, spinning the nigh-invisible item in his grip as he says, "My good Syrik, it's time to go to work." Some time is spent as the two forge the Transient Pick into a suitable weapon. Fae handles the task of selling Syrik's wares during his absence, proving herself to be a rather shrewd merchant. Fiona awakens around the time of the forging's completion; looking around, she quickly determines that she must have passed out, a blush forming on her face as she also realizes that her comrades must have seen it happen. Cyrus looks to her as he asks, "How are you feeling?"

"Embarrassed." Rising to her feet, her attention turns to the shimmering blade of the sword Cyrus holds in his grip. "Ooh, that's fancy." He hands it to her, allowing an opportunity to better study its features. The hilt of the sword is composed of gold and silver, with its blade a silvery blue that matches well with Fiona's usual Fencer attire. She lets out a sharp whistle at the sight. "Damn, this is a good sword."

"Glad you like it." He hands her the scabbard for this sword before proudly resting his hands on his hips. "The Answerer is now yours to wield, Fiona; wield it with pride."

She looks to the sword, and then to Cyrus. Pointing at the weapon, she dons a confused countenance. "Wait, what?!" The grin that forms on Cyrus' face gives silent clarification. "I- I don't know what to say…thank you, Cyrus." She looks to Syrik, smiling as she thanks him in turn. Securing the weapon to her waist, she removes the poignard, thoughtfully looking over the sword she's wielded since the 4th Stratum. A nostalgic smile is upon her face as she says, "At the very least, I no longer have to worry about chipping this beautiful crystalline blade."

Syrik narrows his eyes at this. "Didn't we tell you that the blade could take a lot of punishment?"

She waves him off. "You merchants will say anything to sell your wares." Cyrus and Syrik motion to voice vehement objections to the claim, only to be preemptively brushed off as Fiona walks towards the marketplace's exit. Bidding Syrik farewell, they follow after her. Her destination is Jenetta's Inn, where she drops off the poignard; with this done, she and the rest of her proper party set off for the labyrinth. Up first is the 4th Stratum, where the reptoids await. Arriving at the 19th floor, the group is treated to the sight of a ruined section of the Lucent Hollows. The results of wanton destruction are chaotically spread about, lacking any discernible pattern or reason. "This is shameful."

The group makes its way to the small room beyond the door in C7. Though they expect to be greeted with the sight of the reptoid leader, there is nothing here. Lissa dons a surprised countenance. "Huh. I was certain we'd find it in here." She shrugs, turning to her allies as she follows, "I guess that means we'll have to keep fighting the mooks until the boss shows up." She sighs at the idea. "Never been a fan of this type of quest…we should have brought some Beast Bells with us." Cyrus and Fiona face-palm in unison, suggesting that Lissa's idea was supposed to be taken into consideration from the outset.

Resigning to their fate, the party sets out to do battle with a few groups of Saurians. As another group falls before them, a huge crystal rolls into view. Fiona looks over it from her current vantage, noting its purity. "That might fetch a decent price." She takes a single step forward, only to immediately jump backwards as she draws her sword. "We got company!" A large reptoid slams onto the ground where the crystal is located; it takes the crystal into its hand, glaring angrily at the party before crushing the crystal to dust within its fist. Fiona's eye twitches at the sight, her heart crying out in agony to see perfectly good riches reduced to nothing. Her voice drips with venom, sinking into a guttural growl as she asks, "Do you think this is a fucking game?!" The Saurian repeatedly slams its hammer to the ground, working into a rage of its own, but Fiona is not deterred. "Oh I'll give you something to be upset about!"

Fae tugs at Cyrus' leg as she says, "Uncle, I think Fi-Fi is really mad…"

"Yep, she sure is, sweetie." He draws his sword, taking a step forward as he uses ice magic to ready Phantom Swords. "Chain Squad, initiate setup!" Fae acts first, tossing a Dark Bomb that explodes right in the face of the Saurian Leader. The creature is successfully blinded as it futilely tries to rid its eyes of the irritation that plagues them. Its vision is impaired further as Cyrus' use of Phantom Swords alters its depth perception. Hayato pulls a card from his stock to bestow the effects of Haste Prayer onto the group; he then immediately reaches for an icy blue card to prep Hail Prayer. Thanks to Lissa, Cyrus is granted the effects of Dragon Roar.

Understanding its own predicament, the Saurian Leader jumps back and summons two Saurian Bandits to the battlefield. They both firmly plant their focus on Cyrus, who simply smirks at them as he lures them into a false sense of security. One Saurian charges in to use Vacuum Slash, missing Cyrus completely, but managing to strike Fiona and Lissa; this proves to be to the creature's detriment, for Lissa had Counter Guard prepped. In addition to being shot in the face, the Saurian receives several stab wounds as a result of Fiona charging in to support Cyrus and take advantage of Chain Freeze. The follow-up from Chain Freeze ends this particular Saurian's life, granting Fiona the chance to use the remaining momentum to strike the other Bandit with Chain Burst.

The Saurian Leader lets out a roar upon hearing the dying cry of its ally, which serves to embolden the Saurian Bandit that remains. It attacks with Vacuum Slash as well, dealing far more damage to Fiona than she expected, but still missing Cyrus entirely. The Seekers' efforts to retaliate promptly end its life, leaving the leader on its own. Cyrus rushes in before the creature can make a decision, opting to stab the creature in the chest before jumping onto the hilt; from here, he delivers an upward kick to the Saurian's chin as he flips off the sword and snaps his fingers to return the weapon to his hand. Fiona follows up with Chain Freeze by stabbing the Saurian in the throat, ending its life in turn. She swings her sword to the side, ridding its blade of the Saurian's blood, before returning it to its scabbard. "That's enough out of you."

A group of Saurians arrive on the scene to see the corpse of their leader. The sight causes them to disperse; soon, the entire floor is silent, marking an end to the Saurian threat as well as the quest the party undertook. With no further business here, the group makes way for the sixth floor, returning to the Jagged Reach. The hour strikes noon as they reach their destination. Beyond the door, the Seekers can sense the presence of four creatures that are far too powerful to be on this floor. They wait until the creature closest to the door is, as defined by the map, facing away from the door to allow a preemptive strike. The party exploits this without hesitation.

The creature in question does bear many similarities to the Glaring Stinger, but one notable difference is its tail. While the Glaring Stinger's tail is akin to a yellow crystalline bludgeoning tool, this creature's tail is frayed open, revealing a spiked stinger within. The party begins the encounter with its usual initial preparations. Though stronger than the Glaring Stinger, what the Monstrous Codex identifies as a Crazed Stinger cannot endure much punishment, allowing the party dispatch it before the other creatures can join in. The final Crazed Stinger draws its last breath as the hour strikes 2PM. Everyone, save for Fae, exhales loud sighs of relief as they plant their rears onto the ground. Hayato in particular is sweating profusely, his face somewhat pale.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he sighs again. "They weren't difficult, but going all out really does take a lot out of you…"

Cyrus, much to Hayato's surprise, wears a smile on his face; he lets out a brief laugh as he looks to Fiona and Lissa. "Our last FOE Rush was back in Armoroad, was it not?" Hayato expresses curiosity at the term. "Back in Armoroad, the Seekers would test themselves before facing Strata Bosses by running through as much of the Stratum in one go as we could."

Picking up the thread, Fiona says, "Our objective, as the name implies, was to dispatch as many FOEs in a single run as possible before returning to the city."

Lissa adds, "It was a way of getting in some last-minute training while also gauging if we were truly ready for the Stratum's last challenge." She chuckles as she follows, "Never really felt the need to do it here, though." She rises to her feet, helping up Fiona in turn. "Our work here is done; let's head back." Returning to the Twilight Tavern, she holds up a hand to greet Mirina. "Yo, Matron, we're back!"

"Good to see you. How'd it go?" The reptoid request is reported first. "No offense, but Fiona sounds way scarier." Fiona rolls her eyes in response to this, eliciting a chuckle from Mirina. The effort to exterminate the invasive scorpion menace is then recounted. "That would explain why you all look so exhausted. If nothing else, it shows that you're still taking your work seriously; that's an ethic I can appreciate." She places onto the table a silver ingot as well as a bottle of Formaldehyde. "You've certainly earned these rewards."

Fae asks, "Are there any other requests?"

"There are – two, in fact." Pulling out the clipboard, she says, "First up is a request from a noble who lives in the city. He wants materials from the most powerful monsters living on the first five strata; more specifically, he wants their Conditional Drops." Cyrus, Fiona, and Lissa give her blank stares. "I- Is something wrong?"

Cyrus is the one to present the question all three are pondering. "By 'strongest', is this individual referring to the Stratum Bosses or the FOEs?"

She glances at the clipboard again. "Just FOEs." The trio lets out a loud sigh of relief, practically falling from their stools as they throw their heads backwards. Mirina chuckles at this. "Your targets are the Iron Crustacean, the Glaring Stinger, the Headless Hunter, a Hellhound, and a Plague Demon." Cyrus promptly slams his face to the counter. "That…was a loud one."

He slowly lifts his head. "Is this man taking the piss? I have to get the Zapped Dewclaw from the Hellhound again?" He quickly flips through the Monstrous Codex to read up on the Plague Demon. "I think the Plague Demon's Conditional Drop requires Curse Recoil…you have to be joking." He groans, lightly slamming his face to the counter again. His muffled voice asks, "What's the other one?"

"Oh, um, this second one comes from the Guildmaster; it sounds like a personal request so should go to him for the details." She watches as the party rises from their seats to take their leave. "Please, go at your own pace; be careful out there."

Stepping into the Explorers Guild, the Seekers are greeted by Egar. "You have arrived." He folds his arms, a smirk forming on his face that goes unseen. "Allow me t-" his thought process is disrupted by the burning fire in the gazes of Cyrus and Lissa. "Erm, is there something amiss?"

Fiona shakes her head. "Pay it no heed, Guildmaster; we're just…coming to terms with a Conditional Drop we'll have to get."

"Curse Recoil, I take it?" Fiona nods. "Say no more. Luck be with you, Seekers. Now, as to the details of my request; it does not require Curse Recoil, but it will be perilous. There is a rare crystal that can only be obtained from the Crystal Dragon, one that requires the monster be defeated swiftly."

Cyrus asks, "What's the turn estimate?"

"You must slay the creature within 10 rounds of combat." Cyrus adopts a contemplative stance as his eyes look towards the ceiling. "Heh, I look forward to the results; show me what you've got, Seekers."

The party takes a moment of respite to have lunch at the Twilight Tavern; with their reserves restored, they set out for the Lucent Hollows, where the Crystal Dragon awaits them. The dragon is indeed present, much to the surprise of Cyrus and Lissa. Sparks of electricity begin to crackle around the dragon's body, indicating an impending attack. The Seekers waste no time entering the fray, with Cyrus charging in under the effects of Dragon Roar and Haste Prayer to trigger the effects of Phantom Swords. The Crystal Dragon unleashes three streams of lightning from its maw just as its vision is further impaired by Fae's Dark Bomb. Thanks to her efforts, both she and Cyrus avoid the attacks aimed at them.

Fiona swings her new blade to the side after imbuing herself with the effects of Chain Plus. "I'm ready for action, Cyrus!" She readies Chain Freeze, an act that prompts Hayato to toss out a card to bestow the effects of Hail Prayer onto the party. Lissa readies her shield, anticipating a physical attack. This does not come to pass, for the dragon makes use of Frostcoat Breath in an effort hamper the party's movements. Four of its bursts target Cyrus; he dodges two, but is struck by two in turn. Fiona and Lissa find themselves unable to resist the act of rushing to the Phantom Duelist's aid, striking twice for each attack he successfully avoided.

He wipes the growing layer of frost from his sleeves, hopping in place a few times to keep his blood flowing. ' _That attack boasted greater accuracy than I thought, but that volley took a lot out of it._ ' A thought occurs to him. ' _I might truly be able to get the most out of Lure._ ' He is brought back to the battle at hand as Fae tends to his wounds. "Thanks, Fae."

"Uh huh, just be careful."

He nods to her before sinking into his stance. Charging in ahead of the party, he thrusts his blade into the hide of the Crystal Dragon, granting Fiona a chance to follow up with Chain Freeze; he quickly wrenches his blade from within the dragon, performing a back-flip to garner the creature's attention. Fae rushes to Hayato's side so that she may assist him in a dance to call upon the power of Dance Oracle. Another volley of attacks to supply Fiona with follow-up opportunities is unleashed, dealing significant damage to the dragon. It does not fall, retaliating with a prismatic laser fired from its wings; everyone dodges this attack except for Cyrus, who rushes in to defend Fae as she is targeted a second time. He takes the child into his arms, turning his back to intercept the laser. An explosion follows, sending him crashing to the ground.

Fae emerges unharmed, motioning to check Cyrus' status. He quickly rises in turn, bleeding from his head; the way his right eye is closed suggests that he is suffering from a severe headache. Instead of charging back into the fray as he usually would, he stabs his sword into the ground to support himself. "W- We're almost done; Lord Hayato, support Fiona!" Fae takes this order as clearance to mend his wounds while the others continue the fight. True to Cyrus' claim, the dragon falls after one last follow-up from Chain Freeze. He watches as the others search the dragon's corpse for the rare crystal; they find nothing. "Perhaps there was a step the Guildmaster forgot to mention." He groans as he endeavors to stand, receiving support from Lissa. "Sorry for the scare; I'm alright now." He looks to Fae. "You're unharmed, yes?"

"I- I'm fine, Uncle…thanks." She and her allies depart from here, returning to the 5th Stratum to use its Geomagnetic Pole. They return to the Explorers Guild, where Egar stands in waiting. "Guildmaster, we're back!"

He turns to face them, noting the injuries upon Cyrus' form. "I must say that you have all performed well." He falls silent for a moment before he continues, "I must offer an apology as well, given the injuries Cyrus suffered."

"We knew the risks, Guildmaster; we signed up for this."

Egar shakes his head to the notion. "You misunderstand. The rare crystal that you sought was a fabrication of my own making; I wished to see for myself what you all were capable of."

Lissa arches an eyebrow at the confession. "I knew I felt another presence…I just assumed it was Arken."

Fae dons a confused expression as she says, "You could have just said that, Guildmaster; we would have taken you into Yggdrasil with us."

"True, but had I done so, would you not have acted as if you were under pressure?" Fae blushes and fidgets in place, admitting to Egar's claim without words. This elicits a hearty laugh from the man. "There is no shame in that, little one." He looks over the party again as he says, "I believe I now understand your true strength, and with this knowledge, I can present my true request." The party asks for the details, only for the Guildmaster to shake his head. "I bid you all take a rest; you met this challenge, one that required rigorous combat. The Runic Gale is injured in turn. We shall speak again later."

Left with no recourse, the party departs from the Explorers Guild to make a report to Mirina. "So Egar was testing you, huh…why go about it in such a roundabout manner, though?" She shakes her head. "He's usually so direct. He hasn't come to me with any other requests yet, but even if he does, I doubt he'll tell me what's going on." She folds her arms, letting out a huff as her face takes on a displeased countenance. "This isn't the first time Egar neglected to give me all the details." She sighs before placing a box filled with five bottles onto the counter. "Five bottles of Amrita II; that's your reward for this quest."

As the party steps out of the tavern, Cyrus says, "Let's try to get those Conditional Drops before sundown."

Hayato expresses concern over this venture. "You sure you're good to go? We'll have to fight some powerful FOEs."

"I'm ready for that, Lord Hayato; I'll take breaks as needed." The hour strikes 5PM as Fiona delivers the final blow to the Plague Demon. As a result of Fae making use of one of the Guild's Formaldehydes, the creature is left perfectly preserved, granting the party the chance to claim its rewards. In addition to the creature's mane, they also lay claim to an Accursed Talon. "That makes five." He exhales a sigh of relief. "I admit I was quite fearful in those final moments."

Fiona nods to this. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I was expecting to get six or so Lure counters to end the fight right there, but it used Doom Lightning twice in a row." She slaps him on the shoulder as she says, "You weren't half bad out there; you make a fine tank, love."

"I do aim to please." Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, he says, "Let's report this in and get some rest, team." Stepping up to the counter, he carefully places all five materials onto it. "I hope this noble appreciates the effort; we haven't even submitted most of these to Syrik yet."

Mirina stares at the materials, taking in the sight of each one as her eyes go wide. "You actually did it…" She shakes her head to bring herself back to reality. "You were only gone for three hours…so how was it? Taking on all of those monsters?"

Hayato looks at Fiona, and then to Mirina. Pointing at his ally, he says, "Fiona is a monster with the proper team behind her."

Resting a hand on her hip, Fiona says, "All of the fights were easy, taking barely any effort on our part. The scariest encounter was the Plague Demon, and that's because we had to time our Formaldehyde."

Lissa adds, "We almost got it wrong; Cyrus and I would have been furious."

Mirina has a laugh at this. "Well, I guess you've earned this reward then." She hands Cyrus a gold ingot, which he accepts graciously. "Egar came in with another request, but I'm not gonna let you take it until you get some rest." Cyrus stares at her blankly, shading his eyes as if to question how serious she is. "I assure you I'm as serious as a heart attack right now; go home." Cyrus looks down to the counter, and then back to Mirina's eyes. She folds her arms, glaring at him but speaking no further. The man heaves a swift sigh of defeat before taking Fae into his arms and walking out of the Twilight Tavern; the others bid Mirina farewell before following after the pair. "…holy crap, that actually worked."


	59. Egar's Devotion

**Chapter 59: Egar's Devotion**

Soon after the hour strikes 7PM, Mirina looks to the entrance of her establishment to see the Seekers return. She rests a hand on her hip upon seeing Cyrus leading the group. When he draws near, she asks, "How was your break?"

"I think I needed it; the Crystal Dragon did more damage than I thought it would."

"Huh. You didn't look worse for wear when you reported in, but I guess if anyone would be good at passing off an injury as no big deal, it'd be you…or Logan." Seeing Cyrus raise an eyebrow at the claim, she scoffs. "Aria never told you? Logan's favorite pastime is being a Big Damn Hero."

Fae's expression brightens at this, raising a finger as she says, "He's just like you, Uncle!"

' _I'm not even sure how to respond to that._ ' He chuckles at the child's quip. "About Lord Egar's request…"

"As I expected, he didn't give me any details; you'll have to speak to him in person again."

The party accepts these terms before bidding Mirina farewell. Entering the Explorers Guild, they find Egar finishing up some paperwork. He looks up to find the Seekers approaching. "Good evening; you must have accepted my request."

Fae steps forward, a serious expression upon her countenance. "You have to be honest this time, Guildmaster; no secrets!"

He chuckles at her forward remark. "Very well. The tale is a long one, but I ask that you listen to it in full." He rises from his seat, pushing in his chair as his story begins. "As you know, my life's passion lies with fishing. I have traveled far to answer the word of a big catch; giant catfish, koi, swordfish, even sharks – I have reeled in many."

Fiona thinks on the list of feats, one boast in particular catching her attention. "Wait…are you the one who fished Narmer out of the Waterfall Woods all those years ago?"

"So you've heard of me."

"Heard of you? They never mentioned your name, but you're a damn legend in Armoroad!"

Cyrus adopts a look of incredulity. "You fished out Narmer?!" Egar nods. "Wow…I need to step up my game." He looks to Lissa as he says, "Maybe I should head back to Etria and try to fish out Corotr-"

"No." Cyrus makes an effort to protest, only for Lissa to fold her arms and send him a stern gaze. "I'll break every bone in your body twice over before I let you try something that foolish." She walks up to him, taking to poking his chest. "That creature almost took you from me once; I won't risk it again."

Folding his arms in turn, Egar says, "It is not often this side of you is shown, Lissa."

"The memory of Corotrangul is one I return to more often than I'd like." Her gaze transitions into a shaded visage, one that is distinctly cast beneath an oppressive shadow. A conscious effort to avoid looking at Cyrus is made apparent by Lissa's body language, though no one calls her out on this. "Really, the tail-end of our time in Etria's Third Stratum was just a general mess." She finally works up the nerve to look at Cyrus as she says, "Cyrus and I had to engage Corotrangul as a duo, and without time to form a plan. It was bad enough that he suffered some serious injuries, but he- we had to watch as his father's counterpart lost his life to an FOE…Cyrus went catatonic for awhile after that."

"Quite the tale."

"I was out of commission for the entirety of the 4th Stratum." He thinks back to those days, a pained expression momentarily taking over his countenance. "I didn't mean to bring those memories back, Lissa; I'm sorry."

"…Don't worry about it." She looks to Egar, deciding on a question that will bring the conversation back to its original track. "Is your fishing gear legendary or something? To have caught Narmer, I imagine you'd use a rod whose line was fashioned from the Storm Emperor's whisker…or some such."

Egar has a laugh at this. "If only I could boast such a possession." He shakes his head. "Truth be told, I came to hear word of a legendary fishing tackle during my travels. Therian lore cites that this mythological tackle can be created by gathering materials from monsters across Arcania."

Hayato asks, "What sort of monsters are you searching for?"

"As it happens, the Primordiphant is one such monster." He looks over the party, none of whom seem to be surprised. "I would have you all fight alongside me to acquire what I need from the Primordiphant."

Fae's eyes take on a sparkle. "You mean we get to fight with you?!"

"That is correct; I am looking forward to battling alongside the Seekers."

Fiona looks to Cyrus as she asks, "Are we going to do this with the Chain Squad?"

"Hm…I see no reason why we shouldn't." Looking to Lissa, he follows, "We might have to swap Gwenivere into your spot since Fiona hasn't worked on using Chain Shock since…" he lets out a sharp whistle as he follows, "Damn, since the Hippogryph."

"Generating enmity shouldn't be too much of an issue for you, so you won't need Dragon Roar." She looks up towards the ceiling to gather her thoughts. "The extra firepower would be a nice boon, too." She takes a moment to stretch, letting out a satisfied groan as she follows, "Reese is starting to get jealous as well, so maybe I should take this respite."

"I shall await you all on the eighth floor of Yggdrasil; though your chosen party will be a surprise for me, I look forward to seeing what you bring." He then takes his leave, picking up his shield and cannon on the way out. The Seekers take their leave in kind, returning to Jenetta's Inn so that Lissa may swap places with Gwenivere, ultimately deciding on the original Chain Squad as the party to tackle the upcoming encounter. When the group arrives on the eighth floor, he greets them. "Good to see you."

Gwenivere performs a curtsey as she says, "It will be an honor to fight alongside you, Guildmaster." She and Egar shake hands, a confident smirk tracing on the lips of both. "You act as a Cannon Bearer, yes?" He nods to her before giving a brief explanation of his skill focus. "This will be an interesting encounter." She looks to Cyrus as she asks, "Are you sure you wish to act as a Fencer for this, darling?"

"Indeed. This is fine." Looking to Egar he asks, "Have you invested in Dragon Roar?"

"I have not."

"Darn." He shrugs. "Nothing for it, then; I suspect the Primordiphant will make heavy use of attacks covering a wide area anyway." After performing one last gear check with his team, he deems the group ready to engage their upcoming foe. The party steps through the door into the lair of the Primordiphant. The imposing creature stands tall within its valley. Cyrus draws his sword, giving the weapon a twirl as he exhales a swift breath. The Primordiphant looks to the group, adopting an offensive bearing in response. Cyrus snaps his fingers, summoning a group of frigid swords; he takes a single step forward. "Let's begin."

As was the case when the Seekers accidentally engaged the Primordiphant a month prior, the creature begins the encounter with an attempt to trample the entire party. Though Cyrus recalls having an easy time avoiding such a reckless attack, he and his entire party have a much easier time repeating the endeavor thanks to support from Phantom Swords and Haste Prayer. Cyrus triggers a Union Skill between himself and everyone except Gwenivere and Egar to summon a Black Mist to the battlefield. Despite this boon, Fae's Dark Bomb does not affect the creature. Readying his shield, Egar looks to Fae. "The smoke didn't rise high enough to reach the creature's eyes; you'll have another opportunity."

Fae looks up to the towering foe, realizing that Egar is correct. ' _OK, I have to do this differently._ ' She looks to Cyrus, who is busy counterattacking after the Primordiphant missed its opening move. ' _That'll work._ ' She tightens the straps on her backpack before calling out, "Uncle! I need a boost!" He gestures for her to come forward; once she reaches him, she climbs upon his back and readies a bomb to use Smokeblight. "We'll be OK, right?"

"So long as you're with me, I won't let you get hurt." He looks to Fiona as Gwenivere establishes the effects of Amplifier on the front row. "Good to go?"

A green aura flashes over her form. "I'm ready." She then channels electricity into the blade of her sword, readying her stance; she can feel the effects of Bolt Prayer being established in turn. ' _That got rid of Haste Prayer, but I should be fine._ ' She glances to the right to see Gwenivere wielding her staff as if it were a hammer. Bolt Prayer is further channeled into the weapon she wields, bringing with it the sight of a massive hammerhead. A look of focus is on Gwenivere's face, her eyes shaded into a hardened stare. ' _She's been waiting for this, hasn't she?_ '

Cyrus looks back to see that Egar is prepping his cannon to facilitate firing his specialized rounds. Nodding to this, he rushes in with Fae upon his back to draw the Primordiphant's attention. Fae tosses her bomb to trigger Smokeblight; the smoke momentarily disrupts the creature's vision, causing it to strike Fiona instead of Cyrus. Gwenivere takes advantage of the confusion, leaping from the Primordiphant's trunk to deliver a solid electric strike to base of the trunk connected to the creature's face. Fiona immediately follows up, moving so swiftly to deliver an electric thrust where Gwenivere struck as to appear to be warping.

Before the creature can properly retaliate, a sharp pain can be felt in its trunk. Glancing to its right, it can see Cyrus flipping off of its trunk after removing his blade; its vision goes dark, for Fae has tossed another Dark Bomb, this time successful in her efforts to debilitate the enemy. An orb of electricity explodes in the creature's face, granting Fiona a chance to follow-up with Chain Shock. In retaliation, the Primordiphant violently swings its head low, catching Fiona just as she lands but before she can evade; she is sent flying into Gwenivere, rendering both unconscious.

Glancing back, Cyrus says, "Fae, you revive, Fiona." She nods to him, hitting the ground with a running start as she calls for Hayato to revive Gwenivere in her stead. He glances to see that Egar's preparations are nearly complete; the Cannon Bearer nods to him, eliciting a nod in turn. He tosses his sword at the Primordiphant again, warping to it and garnering the creature's attention in turn. He kicks off the creature, leaving his sword where it embedded itself into the enemy. Believing Cyrus to be vulnerable, the Primordiphant thrusts its head forward, surging its tusks towards both him and Egar. Cyrus warps to avoid being skewered, leaving Egar a full opening to fire his cannon. A huge cannonball is ejected from his firearm, shattering the oncoming tusk.

Egar chuckles to himself, a smirk forming on his face behind his helmet. ' _Not bad for one out of practice._ ' He then triggers a Union Skill by his own power to call upon a Blessing. ' _That should alleviate matters._ '

Fiona and Gwenivere rise in tandem, each letting out a groan. Fiona shakes her head before focusing to establish the effects of Chain Plus; in turn, Gwenivere promptly applies Amplifier. Fiona heaves a sigh. "You have my thanks, Fae; that was shameful of me." She looks to Gwenivere; "You have my apologies as well."

"Pay it no heed." She performs a curtsey to Hayato, smiling as she says, "I appreciate your assistance as well, little prince." Without a word, Hayato pulls the card for Bolt Prayer from his stock to re-establish its effects. Gwenivere giggles at this before channeling her staff's hammerhead once more. "I'll make good use of this too."

Fae runs back to Cyrus, reclaiming her spot on his back as he extends the effects the Phantom Swords. She elects to do the same with Smokeblight. "I hope our bad luck stops there."

"Yeah, as do I." He performs a back-flip to avoid the trunk that's being swung towards his legs. "Alright…now what?" The Primordiphant shakes its head, its eyes no longer suffering from severe irritation. Cyrus and Fae frown at this. "That's annoying." He can see that the enemy is currently glaring at him; ' _That makes my job easy._ ' He takes a knee, performing a beckoning gesture. "Come on, you haven't hit me yet!" The giant pachyderm answers this challenge with another reckless charge, which is easily avoided by the entire party. To counter, Cyrus lands on the Primordiphant's trunk, striking thrice with his sword. Fiona flash steps to his side to thrust her blade into the trunk as well. "Hey there, love."

"Hello yourself; come here often?" Fae jumps from Cyrus' back to plunge her scythe into the trunk as well, granting Fiona another follow-up. "That's a big help, Fae, thanks." She isn't granted much time to chat, for she notices Gwenivere delivering a swing with Clever Strike. "I gotta go." She disappears from sight without waiting to hear potential responses.

Pointing, Fae asks, "How does she do that, Uncle? Is Fi-Fi warping?"

"I…am actually not sure." Another volley to fuel Chain Shock is unleashed, led by Hayato's use of Dance Oracle. Instead of attacking, the Primordiphant lets out a battle cry; its visual clarity returns to its normal state, with the effects of Haste Prayer being completely wiped from the party. "What in the Seven Hells?" He looks to Hayato, who has come to the same realization. "Lord Hayato, use Haste Prayer again!" While Hayato carries out this order, he summons a group of swords made with ice magic to blight the enemy with Phantom Swords. He triggers a Union Skill between himself and everyone except Gwenivere and Egar to blanket the battlefield with another Black Mist. "Fae, try using one of our Leg Binders."

She preps the item and tosses it at the creature's legs. Its legs are bound by a collection of aetherial tendrils. "Alright, it worked!" The creature lets out another battle cry, wiping the effects of Phantom Swords and Haste Prayer again. This proves to not matter, for a final combination of Clever Strike and Chain Shock ends its life. A dying cry sounds from the beast as it hits the ground. Fae breathes a sigh of relief. "Is everyone OK?"

After confirming everyone's well-being, the group claims their spoils of war. For the Seekers, the Primordiphant's crown and one of its legs are taken to sell to Syrik. Egar hefts the blasted tusk on his massive shoulder; a bag containing the pachyderm's carefully gathered fur is held at his side, secured to his waist. "This tusk will become the mightiest fishing hook; this fur, the finest line." He looks to the Seekers, gauging their expressions. "Thank you, Seekers Guild. From the depths of my heart, you have my gratitude." He gives a formal salute, which the entire party returns.

Cyrus chuckles, resting his left hand on the guard of his sword. "You have my gratitude in turn, Guildmaster; it's actually been a dream of mine to fight alongside at least one of the Guildmasters of this world."

"Is that right? I'm glad you could also benefit from the experience. If you'll excuse me, there is work to be done." He gives a parting wave before he warps out of the labyrinth using an Ariadne Thread.

The party warps out in turn, returning to the Twilight Tavern to inform Mirina of the quest's completion. "Leave it to Egar to dream big, huh?" She chuckles. "You all did well to overcome such a challenge." She places a bag containing 150 thousand ental onto the counter, causing Fiona to faint and fall into Cyrus' arms. "Is…is that normal?"

Cyrus looks down, gauging the expression Fiona wears. The woman in his arms wears a smile, and her breathing is stable. He looks back up to see Mirina's concerned countenance. "Yeah, this is fine." He rises from his seat, leaving Gwenivere to carry the reward. "I guess I'll get her to a comfortable bed. We'll see you later, Matron." As the group steps back out into the city, he looks to the others and says, "Perhaps I'll take the others to start exploring the 6th Stratum tonight."

Fae hops in place to garner his attention. "May I come too?!"

"It's getting late, Fae." She denies being tired, with her expression being quite believable. He turns to Gwenivere. "What do you think, love?" Before Gwenivere can actually give a reply, Fae reaches into her backpack to pull out a slip of paper, which she then turns over to the Witch of the party. "Wait, what in the Seven Hells is that?"

Fiona stirs in Cyrus' arms, brought back to the world by the shift in the air. She looks up to see that she is being carried, which helps her recall what transpired. She returns to the ground, looks amongst her comrades and asks, "What are we talking about?"

A pleased sigh escapes Gwenivere's lips. She stores the slip of paper into a pocket within her shoulder cape, and then picks up Fae to crush the child in a loving embrace. "What a ruthless little negotiator you are; I'm proud of you, my little angel." Fae giggles at the praise. Looking to Cyrus, she explains that, "I've been teaching Fae how to be firm on her stances; she and I have established a reward system."

"When I do super well with my lessons and stuff, Aunt Gwen gives me vouchers that I can use for freebies."

"And what did you just burn this voucher on?" He asks the question with a single bead of sweat forming on the side of his head, threatening to fall at a moment's notice. ' _Goddess of Fa- no, I can't pray to Hikari here…uh…Kismet, Great Kismet – please have mercy._ '

Fae fist-pumps, causing Cyrus' heart to sink into his stomach. "Aunt Gwen is going to help me convince you to let me explore the 6th Stratum~"

"By the grace of Hikari, Gwen…my love, my moon, my starlit sky; why?"

She blushes at his words. "You only ever say that to me in private. Are you truly hurt?"

He shrugs. "A little bit, yeah. You're turning my sweet angel into a con artist."

Hayato says, "Brounis are just born like that, actually."

"You're not helping…" He makes the mistake of looking Fae in the eyes; green orbs sparkle in the evening starlight, filled with hope and triumph. He looks to Fiona, his final lifeline in this ordeal. She places a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head with an understanding expression upon her countenance. ' _My own children are going to ruin me._ '

As if sensing his thoughts, Fiona says, "When we have kids, I promise to always be there to keep them in line." Cyrus offers words of gratitude, to which she responds by pulling him into a hug. Their embrace lingers as she makes herself comfortable. "I see what Lissa was talking about; holding you really is therapeutic."

As the two separate, Cyrus heaves a sigh. "If we're going to the 6th Stratum, we're probably going to need Ailments and Binds anyway." He looks to Gwenivere as he says, "If the Chain Squad goes in for scouting, we should probably swap you out for Clarisse."

"I agree. Her ability to disable threats was indispensable during our time in the Fetid Necropolis."

Fiona adds, "If she's going to contribute to the Lure counters, we need to purchase a new bow." Looking towards Hayato, she follows, "The Steppin' Prince should keep his current bow; 6th Stratum ambushes would be deadly." Cyrus visibly shudders at the idea, his face going pale and his disposition suggesting that he has become ill. "Holy crap, are you alright?"

"Just…bad memories. I hate the Claret Hollows." He shakes his head, putting everything out of mind. "I'll head to Syrik to sell these materials and make a purchase." Arriving at the marketplace, he sees Clarisse overlooking Syrik's wares. "Just the woman I wanted to see." She turns to face him, granting an expectant expression. "Are you up for exploring the 6th Stratum tonight?"

"Yeah, sure." She looks to the materials he's carrying; what looks to be a tree trunk is actually a leg. She steps over to take this from him, hefting it on her shoulder with ease. "What the Hell did you guys fight?" Cyrus mentions the Primordiphant. "Aw, really? Damn, I wanted to be there for that one. Oh well." She places the Primordial Trunk on the counter, stepping back as she watches Cyrus and Syrik negotiate prices. ' _I'll have to ask BB how the fight went; I wonder how well Co carried himself._ ' Her thoughts are broken by the sight of Cyrus beckoning her over. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I'm making a new bow for you, but it brings with it some risk." He directs her attention to a bow fashioned from the parts of a Plague Demon. Faded red runes are scribed upon the weapon, with a malefic aura faintly emanating from within. "The spirit of a demon resides within this bow, threatening to overtake its wielder should said wielder not remain well-rested."

"…Co…" She looks to the bow for a moment, knowing full well from where his concerns spawn. "Co, I'll be fine; you know I'm a lot stronger than that."

"Clarisse, I know I'm a bloody hypocrite for calling you out on this as often as I do, but I don't want you making the same mistakes I did." Clarisse steps beside him, picking up the bow and securing it to her person. She looks to Syrik and declares that the purchase will be finalized. "Reese." His voice is stern, though distinct with a tinge of pleading desperation. She looks to him, granting a silent gaze before she walks away from the marketplace. Cyrus stumbles on a potential reply before giving up on the venture. He bids Syrik farewell as he chases after his comrade. Catching up with her, he stands on her right side, where the bow sits secured. "Cla-"

"How often do we have this back and forth, Co?" This brings Cyrus to a stop. She stops in turn, turning to face him. The face she wears leaves no room for her usual jesting tone, her gaze a mixture of internal conflict and sincerity. "I worry about you; a lot of the time I want to be in the party to look after you." She rubs the back of her head, momentarily breaking eye contact as a blush forms on her face. "I'm a hypocrite too. I realized awhile back just how often I'm guilty of the same shit I get on your case about." She looks to him again, her blush persisting. "I'm going to keep getting on your case, Co, because I need to." A pout forms as she lets out a huff. "But you can tell I'm gonna need you to call me out on my bullshit as well. I shouldn't have done what I just did, but I can't help it with you…"

He sighs at this, running a hand from his face through his hair. "By the gods, woman; what am I going to do with you?"

"You don't get to ask that." She grabs his hand. "Now let's go; we're burning moonlight."


	60. Searching for Friends

Author's Notes: _The drive where I store all of my written works suffered a wide-scale corruption. Though I was unable to recover anything for Strata 1, 2, 4, and 5, the chapters of Stratum 3 and most of 6 were preserved. Chapters 63 and 64, in their recovered states, look as if they were written in a language befitting the works of HP Lovecraft, so they must be re-written. My other ongoing projects were not so fortunate, and are potentially lost forever. If things slow down for "Addressing the Myth" again, I just want to let you all know in advance that it's a result of me either re-writing what I've lost or trying to recover the corrupted data in addition to general life matters. I apologize for this inconvenience._

* * *

 **Chapter 60: Searching for Friends**

With party alterations made, the Chain Squad returns to the 6th Stratum. Arken steps over to greet them, receiving a recap of what the Seekers took care of in her perceived brief split from them. There are only two paths available, one to the west, one to the east. The group takes the eastern path first, which quickly ends at a teleport device identical to where the Untamed Garden's wormhole dropped off the group here in this new environment. Hayato says, "That would make these staircase equivalents, but something tells me that this Stratum doesn't have traditional floors."

Arken nods to this. "The Empyreal Bridge is divided up into what we call 'sectors'. You are free to view them as floors if that will make your charting simpler." The party steps into the field of the device, immediately being warped to a strip of land located floating in the middle of D5. Fae points out a nearby pair of pillars sporting red crystals that she hasn't seen before; she asks Arken for the purpose of these crystals. "These are inactive teleporters. Once you reach the other side to properly activate them, you can freely travel to and from their respective end points."

Clarisse scratches her head in confusion. "So these are our shortcuts for the Stratum? That's just weird." The path eventually loops back to the teleport device they just used. "Wait a minute…are we stuck?"

Cyrus raises a hand to halt his party. He points at the device in an admonishing manner. "I don't think I like where this is going. Everyone, turn your backs to the device so that we're all facing west." They heed his command, Arken included. He then leads the group in walking into the device backwards. The group is warped towards the east, dropping off a short distance away from the device in E6. "Well crap. Here I was thinking I was clever. At the very least, I have a decent idea of how these warps work." He looks to his comrades as he says, "I'll confirm after one more test. Let's move." He looks ahead to see a pair of falcons with primarily ebon plumage approaching the group. He draws his sword. "We have company."

Fae tosses a Dark Bomb at the falcon up front, failing to blind it. Hayato sets the effects of Haste Prayer, though it is not enough to deter the falcon up front from charging in to stab both Fiona and Fae with its elongated beak. Clarisse quickly nocks an arrow, loosing a shot at an arc that embeds itself in the cranium of the back-row falcon, slaying it instantly. "Yeah, we won't be having any of that." The remaining creature is swiftly dealt with, granting the party its victory. Clarisse pulls out her whistle to summon Balto, who emerges from the shadows. "This place is gonna suck, Balto."

"If Lissa's horror stories of the Claret Hollows ring true, I'm expecting as much."

Once Fae and Fiona have their injuries mended, Cyrus opens the Monstrous Codex to see if any information on this creature has emerged. "Let's see…ah, that was an Emperor Falcon. It was too swift for me to use Phantom Swords, and they resist Blind." Pointing at Fiona, he says, "Their weakness was Ice instead of Volt, so I believe we can swiftly end that set with minimal issues and energy use by relying on Chain Burst for the follow-up."

Clarisse nods to this. "Yeah. If you go for Deft Thrust, you and Fi-Fi will definitely take out the front row target before I can use Arc Shot."

Fiona chuckles. "That was one Hell of an Arc Shot, though; and here I was thinking Lissa was good."

"Who do you think taught me that skill?" There are two ways to approach the warp from the group's vantage point. Cyrus directs them to the northern side, discovering a Chop Point along the way. Once again, he directs his party to turn their backs to the warp and approach it backwards. The group is warped to the south. "So Co…you wanna fill in the rest of the class here, or is walking backwards one of your kinks?"

He points at her. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard all week, and I'll have you know I was testing for warp gimmicks." He explains that, "I wanted to see if the warp's destinations were based on the direction we were facing upon stepping into it, or if it was based on which side we approached from. It's the latter, making these similar to the warp crystals of the 4th Stratum." Showing his allies the map, he follows, "I believe it is safe to assume that each destination will be spaced an equal amount of tiles away from the warp." He points to the three drop-off points discovered so far, noting that each is spaced five tiles away from the warp. "The 6th Stratum has always had this penchant for symmetry, so this might not be any different."

Though having remained silent for most of the trek, Arken says, "It is interesting to see your exploration methods in practice. You are…more methodical than I was anticipating."

Fae tilts her head at this. "What were you expecting?"

"A more instinctual approach."

Fiona shivers at the notion. "Yeah, I'm not playing a 6th Stratum by ear. That's just begging for disaster." Another warp is discovered ahead, with one more waiting a short distance to the north. Before she can ask which warp they'll take next, a pair of strange creatures approaches the party. Greenish gray tendrils sway along the ground, with sharp black protrusions embedded within like nails. She points at the pair, looking between Cyrus and Clarisse with a confused and perturbed countenance. "Am I just havin' a fit of thirst or do these things look phallic to you?"

Clarisse takes a step back, nocking an arrow. "Aw Hell, now I can't unsee it."

"Ironically, they're resistant to Ice." The two shade leers at him. "What?" He shrugs as he draws his sword. He notices that the tendrils of these creatures are being braced for what he assumes to be an attack, judging from the shaded glare they are shooting at the party. He charges in to thrust his blade into the body of the creature on the left, swiftly removing it to perform a back-flip to garner the attention of the other. Fiona rushes in to stab the creature in the face with a blazing sword, following up on her own momentum to perform Chain Burst, which slays the other in turn. "Alright, so we have a low-effort strategy for that Enemy Set as well. Let's get going."

Looking at the map, Fae says, "We don't really have much of a hint here; either warp could lead us down the right path…" The top warp is chosen, though mostly on a whim. Fae immediately takes note of a new warp to the south. Pointing to it, she asks, "Where does that one lead?"

After consulting the map, Cyrus says, "Ah, that will lead to the midpoint of the two warps we were just choosing between. Two new choices exist, one in E6, the other in E7. Or…we could go and check that dead end?" Fiona grabs hold of his hand to lead him towards the warp in E7. "You really dislike backtracking, don't you?"

"I don't know what gave you such an impression." The eastern-most warp leads to a branching path with a warp waiting down a western stretch. A quick glance at the map suggests that, "This next drop-off point should grant us access to the shortcut we discovered earlier…damn, this process isn't too bad when the pattern is obvious."

"It helps to have a pattern in the first place, unlike a certain cavern of claret red I could mention."

Fae notices that Clarisse's ears have twitched, provoking her into pulling a Dark Bomb from her side. ' _Incoming baddies!_ ' She pivots on the heel of her shoes, tossing the bomb behind Hayato to impair the vision of a trio of enemies. "Nice try, bad guy!" Getting a good look at the creatures, she can see that their bodies are almost entirely black, save for their tiny yellow hands. "They kinda look like the crystal monsters from the 4th Stratum." Cyrus's eyes become akin to roaring flames at the observation. "U- Uncle?"

"Amrita II fodder!" Clarisse, Fiona, and Hayato join him in a rallying cry as they all charge at the enemy group. Fae scratches her head in confusion, looking to Arken for guidance; Arken can only share in the confusion. Much like the previous encounter, a combination of Deft Thrust and Chain Flame dispatches two of the enemies.

The last one, however, looks in Cyrus' general direction. It boasts a deep voice, much like his own, as it presents an invitation. "Prepare to dance with the devil…and pray, that you survive."

"I- excuse me?" He is then engulfed by darkness, as is the creature who spoke to him. When the darkness clears, the creature is dead on the ground, as is Cyrus. When he wakes up, he is awash with profound confusion. "What just happened to me?" He pulls out the Monstrous Codex, which reveals the creature they just fought is known as 'Stardust', a falling star whose remnants came to life. "Wait, collapsed stars can gain sentience?!" He looks to Arken, equally intrigued and flabbergasted. "And its act of going supernova isn't to explode, but to instead magically kill a victim?"

"I'm as surprised as you are; I've yet to see this creature before."

"Oh, that's diabolical. And it does have a Conditional Drop, which I bet turns into Amrita II." He looks to Fae as he says, "We're going to need your Panic Bombs for those enemies."

"I'll do my best." Before committing to the warp that they've discovered, the party uncovers two more, presenting three choices in total. "The bottom warp might not lead to that shortcut after all." She stares at the map, frowning as she says, "We still don't have any real clues…"

Cyrus agrees with a nod. "In past Strata, we could judge which warp would be appropriate based on its destination. This one is open-ended." Fiona suggests the group take the middle warp. "Yeah, let's." Doing so places them on the other side of the shortcut, allowing them to activate it. True to Arken's description, this shortcut acts as a localized teleporter. "Excellent call, Fiona." A warp lies to the west, acting as the only means of progress. After taking it, the group is beset by a trio of enemies. Two Emperor Falcons lead the charge while a new species of the flying manta rays from the Second Stratum brings up the rear. The creature features bright and striking colors upon most of its body, with its mouth and eyes being an off-putting combination of abyss black and flickering crimson. "My word."

The enemy trio falls easily enough, though not without the manta ray demonstrating its ability to use its tail to strike the entire party with ice damage, which serves an additional purpose of putting Fiona and Fae to sleep. Clarisse rests a hand on her hip. "Yeah, our action speed is gonna be an issue up here." A quick check through the Monstrous Codex reveals that, "This creature can't be leg bound…well that's stupid. Guess we'll be relying on you for Hail Prayer, Steppin' Prince."

"Leave it to me." The path ahead leads to a fork. At one end of the fork is a warp that looks as if it will return the group to the Geomagnetic Pole; the other end leads to a hall with two doors. The door to the south leads to an area teeming with enemies, which the group quickly backs out of. "Can't say I'm a fan of crowds."

Arken nods. "That makes two of us, Spirit Walker." Through the northern door is a larger expanse than the group is used to seeing. "Ah, a far more spacious region for the Redshift Corridor."

This spaciousness, of course, comes at a price. Though there are two doors readily visible to the group – one to the west and the other on the north-eastern edge of the expanse, there is another creature lurking within as well. It is too far away for its features to be easily discerned, leaving a shadowy silhouette in the distance. Elongated, clawed fingers wriggle manically as the restless creature seems to cheer in silence. Horns protrude from its head, rising a fair distance into the air. It is eyeing the Seekers from its current position, waiting for them to make a move so that it may proceed accordingly. Its aggression is permeating the expanse, leaving no room for pretense.

The group cautiously strafes to the left and is greeted to a most alarming sight. The creature in the distance disappears in a burst of light, soon reappearing a space to its left. Worse still, another of its species now stands behind it, mimicking its movements to near perfection. Clarisse clutches at her bow but dares not make any sudden movements. "What is that thing?" The creature does not teleport again, leaving the group curious as to how it managed the feat and, more importantly, which of their actions provoked it. Stepping through the western door, Clarisse lets out a sigh of relief alongside her comrades. "Holy shit, I didn't even get a good look at it."

The hour strikes 1AM, though no one in the party is sure as to how time should be perceived up here. Before stepping through the next door, they take a brief respite. Beyond the next door is another of the same FOE that just accosted the group, known as the Mounting Horror. The party realizes that what they once perceived as teleportation is, in reality, arguably worse. Cyrus says, "This creature creates a clone of itself, which then pursues us in its place. When we step into another room, the clone is dismissed." He leads the group through a door close by, being met with a warp. "Wait…" After counting to determine the destination, his eyes widen. "This warp will put us in the room with the FOE." His assumption is true, for the warp places them near the FOE as well as the door leading out towards the way of progress.

This process is repeated beyond the door, which is soon revealed to be an extension of the room hosting the original Mounting Horror the party encountered. They are granted a better look at the creature in question, seeing that its head hosts a myriad of blue eyes arranged in a circle around a central red eye. Its mouth is fixed into a sinister grin, its sharp fangs twinkling dimly when exposed to what little light reaches this place. When this expanse is behind them, they proceed through one more door to reach a large hall hosting another teleport device and the entryway of a shortcut. Fiona expresses surprise at this. "Huh." Beyond this shortcut is another warp and the second Chop Point of the floor. "Two-way warp; now that's convenient."

Hayato says, "I think that warp in the large room behind us will take us to another sector then…we missed a lot of this floor. Should we proceed?"

Cyrus nods. "We'll get a glimpse of the next floor before turning in for the night. It's already 2AM." Taking the warp, the group ends up in a location not marked on the map of what is designated as the 26th floor. Looking to the map, Cyrus notices that the warp they just took follows the same rules. The warp of A4 on the 26th floor leads directly five tiles ahead, correlating to a spot in F4 of the 27th. "There really is a method to this madness."

Arken steps forward, looking around to confirm the current location. "It would appear that the space up ahead is even more distorted than the previous area." She looks to the Seekers as she follows, "I suggest restocking on materials to make sure you're prepared for what's to come. I imagine you all are quite tired as well."

The party agrees with this assessment, departing from Yggdrasil to retire at Jenetta's Inn. Stepping inside, they find their innkeeper sitting at the lobby table, deep in thought with elbows planted on the tabletop; her hands are interlocked, concealing the bottom half of her face. Her eyes are closed, as ever, but the group assumes they are worn with a focused leer behind the lids. A raven, presumably a transformed Gwenivere, rests upon her left shoulder. Fae takes a seat next to her. "Hi, Aunt Jenetta, what's the matter?"

"I've been thinking…kitties are just adorable, right?"

Fae gives an enthusiastic nod. "Yep! Cats are great~"

"Their beady eyes, their fluffy fur, and their squishy little toe beans…"

Cyrus frowns at this. "Whenever I try to mess with Valeska's paws, she attacks me."

"Sometimes I wish I could just leave this inn to my sisters and become a kitty cat myself."

The raven opens its beak to speak, the flowing voice confirming that this is Gwenivere. "Of course, were that to occur, Cyrus and I would adopt Jenetta instantly." She giggles, holding a wing to her beak to emulate the act of stifling it. "I'd spoil my baby quite rotten."

"Just think about it – I could eat my favorite food with the money my big sis makes, leave to play whenever I want, sleep however long I please…" She pauses, coming to a revelation. She lifts her head. "Wait a sec, that's a description of my older sis! Hm…maybe I can forgive her cattiness if I think of her as an actual cat." She quickly shakes her head, ridding it of the idea as quickly as it arrived. "Nope, not happening." She stands up. "Guess I'll turn in since everything is cleaned up." She rubs a pinky beneath Gwenivere's chin, eliciting a chirp. "Gwen, would you be my cuddle buddy tonight?" Gwenivere jumps from her shoulder to transform back into her human form, swiftly taking the innkeeper into her arms. "Whoa! Someone's eager."

Gwenivere looks to Cyrus, a triumphant expression worn upon her countenance. "All of my hard work has led to this moment. I won't let you down, love."

' _I don't know how she could let me down in this scenario, but whatever._ ' He nods to her. "Give it your best effort, milady; I'll be cheering you on from here." Gwenivere nods to this before bidding the rest of her comrades a good evening. The pair disappears as it reaches the apex of the staircase. Taking a moment to stretch, Cyrus heaves a loud yawn. "Yeah, I need sleep as well." Fae steps in front of him while holding up her arms. He chuckles at this, picking her up without question. "I bet you're tired now, right?"

She nods before wiping her left eye. "The 6th Stratum is weird; I don't wanna think about it right now." She looks to Clarisse as she says, "Big sis Reese, would you sleep in our bed tonight?" Clarisse tilts her head at this. "I don't like it when it's just two of us; the bed feels empty. That's why I'm glad Aunt Lissa was with Aunt Gwen last night."

"Sure, Munchki- wait." She points at Cyrus. "You mean I have to cuddle with Co?"

"That's fine, right? Don't you really like Uncle Cyrus?" Clarisse's face turns red. "Oh no, did you get sick up there? I- I have herbs for that!"

Clarisse becomes quite flustered, tripping over her own sentences as she fails to explain herself. Lissa walks by, having come from the kitchen; she wields a partially eaten sandwich as she casually says, "Cyrus doesn't bite unless you ask him to." This only worsens Clarisse's situation, causing her to bury her face in her hands. "If you're not up for it, I'll take your place." She looks to Fae as she asks, "Would that be alright with you, Fae?"

"Uh huh! You give some of the best hugs, Aunt Lissa~ I feel super safe when you're holding me and Uncle Cyrus."

"Actually yeah, a strong embrace from the wife sounds pretty nice right about now." He finds himself being crushed in a sudden embrace, courtesy of Clarisse. "Eh, Reese? Are you OK?"

"Is this strong enough for you?"

"Uh…sure, but I'm not feeling the love here; I feel like a captive."

"I'll work on it. Hey, Munchkin; let's go." True to her word, she gently places a hand on Cyrus' cheek to force his attention to fix on her. "I bet you're feeling uneasy after getting killed twice by those Stardust creatures; I- I- I'll hold you close tonight so you can rest." Fiona snickers at this uncontrollably, noting how cheesy her proclamations are. "Sh- Shut up! What would you know?!" She lets out a huff before hefting Cyrus over her shoulder. Gently taking hold of Fae's hand, she begins her trek upstairs. "Balto, you can give the Princess company." He nods to her before walking off without a word. ' _What am I even doing…_ ' When the morning comes, she is the first to wake, finding herself resting her head on Cyrus' chest as she holds Fae close. ' _I should be honest with myself more often…nah, too much of a hassle._ '

After breakfast, a gathering party is assembled to investigate the Chop Points of the 26th floor. Cyrus, Fiona, Lissa, Gwenivere, and Diana all ascend to the Empyreal Bridge, granting three members of the Guild an opportunity to observe the stratum. Diana is the least surprised. "This certainly is advanced, though I'm curious as to why space is so distorted here." Arriving at the Chop Point in D5, she procures a branch with a capped flower sitting at its tip. "Now this is curious. This flower here is capable of communicating with other plants through mana."

Gwenivere points to a floating tree that looks to be just small enough for the party to gather it. "This looks like cedar, but I've never seen a specimen where the trunk splits off into three like a tripod. How…curious." She looks to see that Cyrus is holding onto a strange specimen. "Darling? What is that?"

"This is…um…a tree that appears to grow upside down." After the party gathers from the remaining Chop Point in B5, they depart to sell these new materials to Syrik. With that business taken care of, they make way for the Twilight Tavern, where Mirina greets them with her usual smile. "Good morning, Matron."

"Morning. Clarisse told me a bit about the 26th floor. Were you…really fighting pha-" Cyrus and Fiona interject by affirming her question. "OK, so I won't ever go up there; that just sounds disturbing." She serves the group a round of drinks, granting Cyrus a tall glass of orange juice.

Gwenivere frowns, having recalled seeing a few creatures of the 6th Stratum as she and her invisible allies slipped past them. "I had the…displeasure of seeing those Xenopod creatures. I'm none too keen on the idea of getting close enough to strike them with my staff. There is but one object of that make that I am willing to draw that close to, and it belongs to my husband." Cyrus sputters his drink, entering a coughing fit. "Are you alright, darling?"

"Ugh. Exposing you to we common folk was a mistake, milady."

"Hm? However do you mean?" Diana starts laughing at this, being joined by a selection of nearby patrons. Gwenivere's confused expression persists, accentuated by the inquisitive tone of her voice. "Dearest mum, what has you enjoying a giggle?"

In an effort to spare Cyrus of whatever this conversation is turning to, Mirina tries to bring the subject back. "I heard there aren't any stairs up there either." They all shake their heads to this. "You hear a lot of stories running a bar like this, but never have I heard a tale this outlandish. It's so ridiculous that you can't believe someone could make it up."

Diana nods to this. "I know what you mean; it's as if there should be a limit to how wild an idea can be." She chuckles. "But that's what separates humans from most creatures; they never settle for those limits. Even too much is not enough."

"I got a request for you guys. Just one though. It's, uh…it's from Jenetta. She's having trouble finding friends her age." Everyone at the table adopts an incredulous expression at this. "I know, that's what I said. I'd like to consider myself on good terms with everybody in Iorys, but I am a fair bit older than Jenetta, so…maybe she feels she can't connect with me." Fiona, Gwenivere, and Lissa all stare at her intently. "Yes, I'm older than all of you except for Diana." She glances over to Cyrus, expecting some sort of reaction, only for him to take another sip of his drink. "You don't seem to be surprised, Cyrus."

"I have no reason to be. Your age doesn't change what you mean to me, Mirina." He takes another long sip of his drink, missing his chance to see Mirina's blushing face. As he lowers the glass, he points his pinky at her. "You might be surprised to hear this, but I have a thing for older women." She blushes again. To spare the proprietress further embarrassment, he follows, "I never admitted this until now, but I was…kind of happy when I saw that Lissa had turned 21 while I was still 18."

Lissa blushes in turn, frowning at him as she asks, "Is that right?"

"Indeed, but anyway, let's not get into that. This is supposed to be about Jenetta after all."

Mirina heaves a soft sigh of relief. "You're right about that. Unfortunately, that's all the info I can give you; you'll have to speak with Jenetta in person." The women at the table are the first to depart; they elect to wait at the entrance while Cyrus finishes his drink. He sets the empty glass down onto the counter, thanking Mirina for the refreshment. "Anytime…and thank you, Cyrus; I appreciate how you handled that."

"It's only fair that we take care of you sometimes, Mirina." He departs on this note, not giving Mirina a chance to reply. He returns to the inn with his comrades, happy to find that Jenetta appears to be free from duty. "Hey Jenetta, we're here for your reque- whoa!"

Gwenivere pushes Cyrus to the side so that she may be the first to address Jenetta. "I demand an explanation! Were…were my cuddling skills not up to par?" Jenetta tilts her head at this. "Are we not friends, Jenetta?"

"Huh? O- Of course we are, Gwenivere. Though, I'm pretty sure you want to be more than that…uh, anyway, this is about something a little personal. I've been working at this inn for as long as I can remember, and aside from my sisters, I didn't have any friends to play with when I was a kid." She grabs Gwenivere's hands, her warmth a reflection of the gentle countenance she bears. "I was thrilled that my dear guests treated me so nicely, and always included me as if I was part of the group." She gives Gwenivere a quick hug, squeezing as tight as she can before separating. "I want to make up for lost time." Still holding onto Gwenivere's hand, she pulls her along towards the inn's exit. "Let's start by looking around town for people my age!"

Lissa shrugs at the sight. "This ought to be good."

Diana chuckles at the assessment, a catty grin upon her lips. "Oh yes. It's not often I get to see my daughter-in-law flustered at the pace of another."

Jenetta giggles as she looks around the town square. "Look at all these potential besties…actually, I only see grizzled adventurers." She looks to the group. "Making friends is like a carp climbing a waterfall – you gotta reach the top before you turn into a cool dragon." While most of the group finds the comparison ill-fit, Cyrus jokes that he'll drink to that. "Hey, that's a great idea! Let's gather intel at the Twilight Tavern!"

Fiona spots an individual who appears to be having trouble deciding on what to order from the menu. Walking over to him, she asks, "Hey how's it going? This is out of the blue, but do you know anybody around Jenetta's age?"

"You mean the innkeeper? I overheard some adventurers talking about a girl beyond the locked door on the third floor recently. I kinda figure that if both of them can get lost in the labyrinth, they might get along."

"That makes sense. Thanks." As she walks away, her mind thinks back to Armoroad. ' _Wait…wasn't Alraune kinda just sitting on the other side of a door?_ ' She relays this information to her allies, bringing a smile to Jenetta's face, but one of concern to both Cyrus and Lissa. Jenetta tells the group to go on ahead, for she needs to go ask her older sister to hold down the inn for her. Looking to the others, Fiona says, "I guess you two are having the same thoughts as me."

Cyrus nods to this. "I'm concerned, yeah. I'm expecting a fight, so we'll run the Chain Squad. Lissa, you'll swap into Gwenivere's place; we might need your defensive prowess to protect Jenetta."

Jenetta travels alongside Fae and Hayato to rendezvous with the remaining members of the Chain Squad on the third floor. "I bet it's been a long time since you've all been down here, huh?" She looks to Fae as she follows, "Oh, and thanks again for that tonic, Fae; I had no idea you could get my sister to sober up so quickly."

Hayato raises a finger to this. "Why do you know a recipe like that, anyway?"

Fae shrugs. "Mommy said it might be handy to have one day."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "A mother often knows best." He looks to Jenetta. "Ready for your second bout of exploration with us?"

"Yep! It's the perfect chance for me to show you how much stronger I've gotten." To start, she pulls out a whistle, which she uses to summon Balto. She crouches down to brush his fur, an act he shows appreciation for by wagging his tail. She giggles at this. "Balto said my training was coming along~ If we get into a fight this time, I have a bow instead of my fists, too!"

The party assumes a formation and commences its search for Jenetta's potential new friend. Wanting to investigate the large empty expanse on the western edge of the fourth floor, the party ascends to it using the stairs beyond the sealed door. As they reach the top, Lissa says, "I just remembered that we still haven't explored the sealed doors in the Fetid Necropolis."

Cyrus nods to this. "I keep forgetting about them as well." Once they reach the top of the stairs, they fill out into the expanse, quickly noting that something is directly up ahead. In the distance is what appears to be a young woman sitting within a throne constructed from a flower. Six blue roses line her seat, presenting the sitter as an entity of import; a sheer gown adorns her form. "Oh you cannot be serious. That's actually a younger-looking Alraune." Jenetta, not understanding the implications of his words, immediately approaches the figure, prompting the Seekers to hustle in order to keep pace.

The entity's features become more pronounced as the group draws near, allowing Fae and Hayato to see that the plant throne is physically a part of the young woman. Hayato takes a step back. "This thing feels like it's stronger than anything else in the First Stratum…what's it doing here?"

Lissa says, "This is really the only place the creature could grow, I'd wager. She'd be out of place anywhere else."

Jenetta remains unfettered, her chipper voice shattering any tension that was once present. "Hi there! My name's Jenetta; do you wanna be friends with me?" To show that she's serious, Jenetta opens her arms for as large of a hug as she can muster, stepping towards the creature unflinchingly. Cyrus swiftly places himself in front of the innkeeper. "Dear guest? What's the matter?" She then takes notice of a slew of human corpses scattered about the area. Returning her attention to the flower girl, Jenetta realizes that the creature is giggling at the horrified expressions of her guests. "But…why? Why would you do something like this?"

Cyrus glances back to his allies, silently conveying orders. Fiona motions to the front line while Lissa stays on the rear line. Fae readies a Dark Bomb; Hayato preps the card for Haste Prayer in advance. ' _Alright, we're good to go. I'll need Lissa to stay on the back for a bit since this thing might just target her for being the sturdiest of us._ '

As Cyrus continues to formulate the party's plan of action, Jenetta raises her voice. Her chipper voice has disappeared, replaced with a thorough rage not befitting the innkeeper. "Didn't your mommy teach you not to kill?! What did you gain from this?!" The plant creature yawns, brushing off Jenetta's remarks with a dismissive wave. Jenetta draws her bow. "Now I'm angry." A malefic and oppressive aura washes over the battlefield, so heavy in its presence as to feel like tangible weight to the Seekers and the plant creature. This notion conveys to Cyrus that Jenetta is the one exuding this aura. The creature takes a step back as Jenetta's left eye briefly opens to properly display her fury. Cyrus and Fiona dare not turn around to see what has the upcoming foe so terrified, missing their chance to finally confirm the innkeeper's eye color. Her eye closes again as she nocks an arrow. "I'll teach you some manners!"

Summoning a Black Mist, Cyrus calls for a few changes to his orders. "Jenetta, hold your fire! Fae, throw Sleep Gas! Everyone else, as you were!" The Sleep Gas Fae tosses at the Dryad puts the creature to sleep, allowing everyone else to setup a foundation. Jenetta has lowered her bow, looking to Cyrus expectantly, though visibly cross with the sleeping creature. "I thank you for your patience, Jenetta; there's a process to this." He summons three sets of frigid blades to use Phantom Swords. "That should last the entire fight." He looks to see Fiona meditating. ' _She's focusing to make Chain Plus last; I'll leave her be._ '

Lissa provides Dragon Roar to Cyrus, extending it twice after. "That should keep you for the battle." She looks to see Hayato prepping two cards for Haste Prayer and one for Blaze Prayer; he transforms all three cards into aetherial arrows, nocking each with his bow at once. Fae tosses a bomb to put Smokeblight in effect; her expectant gaze, coupled with her decision to climb aboard Cyrus' back, suggests everyone is ready. Looking to Jenetta, she says, "Maybe we should have brought a Bravant or something." Fiona rises to her feet, blade at the ready. "We're ready to go, Jenetta; wake her up."

Instead of firing an arrow, Jenetta walks over and playfully tugs at the Dryad's cheeks. Her allies among the Seekers stare in awe at her audacity. "Wake up sleepy head!" The Dryad does as requested, though with more of a violent reaction than Jenetta was expecting. The creature glares at Jenetta for disturbing her slumber, only to swiftly turn to address the Fencer shooting blades of ice at the side of her head; this distraction grants Hayato the freedom to fire all three of his arrows into the sky, bestowing his party with their effects. "I don't understand why you're upset; it's not as if Phantom Swords hurts you or anything."

Cyrus opens his arms up for a hug, parading himself around as the most obvious target in the world. He adopts an accent no one in the party has ever heard him use in conversation before. "Think you can take me?!" For reasons everyone present is unable to explain, they feel a sudden urge to charge at him. ' _That was more effective than I thought it would be…_ ' Fae tosses a Dark Bomb at the creature, even getting support from Lissa's use of Black Mist, only for the Dryad to casually smack the bomb so far that it becomes a twinkling light in the sky. "Somebody has strong feelings about all this."

Hayato performs brief tango with Fiona to trigger a fiery explosion through Dance Oracle. His dance partner then disappears from sight to follow-up with Chain Flame. Sensing this, the Dryad shifts her main body to avoid damage, much to Fiona's surprise. Fiona maintains her momentum and at least manages a proper hit through Chain Double, delivering a thrust to the Dryad's knee. ' _Did I seriously just miss?_ ' She glances to see a flaming arrow embed itself in the Dryad's shoulder, courtesy of Jenetta, granting Fiona another follow-up. As soon as her feet touch the grass, she disappears again, reappearing just in front of the Dryad with her blade already prepped for the thrust. ' _I can't truly warp the way Cyrus can; advanced flash steps are the best I have._ '

After executing this follow-up, Fiona wrenches her blade from the enemy and returns to the ground. She finds another moment to follow up as Lissa fires an incendiary round from her cannon. The Dryad summons a trio of icicles above her head. ' _What the Hell? Even their skills are similar?!_ ' All three of these icicles are aimed directly at Cyrus, who casually sidesteps to avoid them. The attacks notably pierce through the ground upon impact; ' _Yeah, that would probably pierce to the back line as well._ '

Having dodged all three attacks, Cyrus' use of Lure compels both Jenetta and Fiona to attack the unsuspecting Dryad thrice in return. This exchange repeats, even with Fiona missing a follow-up through Chain Flame, but making up for it through Chain Double. ' _It's not like Fiona to be off her game._ ' He glances up to see dark clouds localized above the battlefield. ' _You're serious? She even has a Volt attack like Alraune?!_ ' He glances back as he braces himself. "Fae, I'm going on the move so hang on."

"G- Got it!" The first bolt of lightning strikes, which Cyrus dodges by lunging forward. Fae's heart practically skips a beat at both the noise and the imagery of the scorched earth behind where she and Cyrus once stood. "Whoa…"

Cyrus, not losing his momentum, performs a combat roll to the right, bringing him and Fae just a bit closer to Lissa and Hayato, but not enough to put them in danger; through this act he dodges a second lightning bolt. He jumps backwards, dodging a third; upon landing, he executes a high back-flip to dodge a fourth bolt, and then throws his sword at the Dryad before warping to it to avoid the final lightning strike. His efforts prove fruitful, for in avoiding those attacks, Fiona and Jenetta each attack the Dryad five times in addition to the actions they were already taking in the moment. Fiona finds it somewhat difficult to juggle Lure counters with Chain follow-ups, but she finds her way. The two meet during the counter attack exchange. "You're doing well, Fiona."

"Same to you, old friend." When this seemingly endless volley finally completes, the Dryad falls back, retreating within her own flower-like fortress. "OK, that's not something Alraune ever did."

Cyrus exhales a breath, the first opportunity he's had to cease his efforts to dodge during the battle. "She's trying to heal! Rush her down!"

Fae reaches into her backpack to pull out a bottle of Formaldehyde, which she tosses at the Dryad when Cyrus draws in close enough to strike with his sword. ' _Hope this works…_ ' Her timing proves to be correctly placed, for the Dryad is slain by Fiona's Chain Flame follow-up. The battle concludes, granting everyone a chance to breathe easily. One of the Dryad's flower buds was severed during the engagement, which Lissa secures for the group. Fiona procures what appears to be velvet. ' _Where did that come from? Wasn't she wearing a sheer gown? Oh, maybe it's her underwear…do monsters even use underwear? Wait…_ ' She pats Cyrus' shoulder, getting his attention. "Uncle, do they make velvet panties?"

"Yes, they do…why do you ask?"

"I was just trying to figure out where Fi-Fi got that velvet from."

"We didn't take the Dryad's underwear…at least, I'm pretty sure we didn't just do that."

"When will it be OK for me to wear something so bold?"

"Hm…the only women I know who wear velvet undergarments are Lucille and Ha-chan." He glances back to her as he replies, "You can try asking Aunt Amy; she might have an answer. If not, I'll have to introduce you to her sister and Princess Lucille. I can tell you that you're going to be waiting for a sum of years."

She sighs, jumping down from his back. "Yeah…I figured."

Jenetta rushes over to the corpse of the Dryad, enveloping the lifeless creature in a tender embrace. She cradles the fallen foe in her arms, tears welling in her eyes as she internally laments not being able to change these events. "Goodbye, Audrey V…my dear friend."

Fiona can't help but think, ' _Was that thing really called Audrey V or did Jenetta just make that up?_ ' She shakes her head to the matter, deciding that it's ultimately irrelevant. "Try not to let it get you down, Jenetta; you'll have a chance to build more relationships." The innkeeper's voice catches in her throat as she sobs, asking Fiona if that claim is really true. "It is, yeah. I…" She looks towards the grass with a sad gaze, remembering the fallen members of her original Guild. She returns her focus to Jenetta. "I lost my entire Guild once, four of my closest friends. I never thought I'd recover after that, but…" She looks to her current set of comrades, her eyes falling to Cyrus at the end. He smiles at her, provoking a smile in turn. "I met some wonderful people who took me in after that. You're a strong woman, stronger than I was back then; you'll get through this."

Jenetta is at a loss for words upon hearing this. "I- Th- Thank you, Fiona." She turns her attention back to the fallen creature. "I guess that's just how it goes. An old Therian proverb says that the best of friends converse with their fists."

Fae's eyes light up at this. "Wow, that must mean Aunt Lissa has tons of friends!" Lissa takes the child into one arm while lightly digging her free fist into the child's hair. Fae panics upon realizing what is happening. "No! No noogies!"

Jenetta has a chuckle, her spirits lifted by the sight. "Audrey's feelings reached me loud and clear…like a Klaxon Cicada." Cyrus and Lissa visibly shudder at the mention of that creature. "I think this is a good place to end our quest. I think I'm going to head back to the inn." She gently sets the Dryad's head onto the ground before rising to her feet. Cyrus motions toward her, only to stop as Jenetta raises a hand to him. "You don't have to say anything…but thanks. Please excuse me…" To the group's surprise, Jenetta uses her own spool of Ariadne Thread to return to Iorys.

As the group turns to leave, they feel a sudden surge of energy. The Dryad's body turns to light, which then envelops the party. Cyrus, Fiona, and Lissa crack their knuckles in response to this. Fae asks, "What just happened?"

Cyrus says, "Think of that bright light as a level cap boost."

"Oh, really?! So it's like when we got our Master titles!" She runs over to Hayato, grabbing his hand as she leads him towards the floor's exit. "We gotta get to training, Prince; let's go!"


	61. Weaponized Nightmare

**Chapter 61: Weaponized Nightmare**

Returning to the city, the party makes way for the Twilight Tavern to turn in their report to Mirina. "Welcome back. Jenetta stopped by to tell me about what went down. She told me she had lots of fun exploring Yggdrasil with her dearest friends." Everyone at the counter blushes at this, though Fae is the only one to wear a prideful smile. "She said it was like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa all rolled into one." She shrugs, chuckling at the memory. "I haven't the foggiest clue what any of that meant, but she sure looked happy." She places a box filled with five bottles of Nectar II onto the counter. "This is your reward for another job well done. Any plans for the day? It's still pretty early."

Cyrus says, "We'll be heading back to the 26th floor to map the sections we didn't get around to." Mirina arches an eyebrow to this, shooting an expectant visage his way. "Our trek through that floor was quite smooth; we avoided all of the dead ends."

Setting down his mostly finished drink, Hayato lets out a satisfied sigh. "It was kind of surprising; Cyrus and Fiona are usually pretty good about intentionally mapping out dead ends." Looking to the latter of the two, he follows, "Fiona hates backtracking though, so once we were on the path of progress, we were forced to commit." He looks to Cyrus as he asks, "Are we going to swap Lissa out for Clarisse again?"

"That was the plan, yes, but I wish to bring Valerie along so we can take a shot at the Stardust's Conditional Drop."

Lissa asks, "You've narrowed down the criterion?"

He nods. "I believe we need Instant Death."

"So you're gonna have to put them to sleep first?" He nods again. "I sure hope you have enough Sleep Gas." Rising from her seat, she says, "I'll go let Valerie know she's up next. You guys should go sell the spoils to Syrik."

Heeding this suggestion, the remaining four depart from the Twilight Tavern to make way for the marketplace. They arrive as Syrik concludes another successful sale. He waves the Seekers over, a bright smile on his face. "Good to see ya! What'll it be today?" Cyrus places the Bewitching Bud onto the counter, followed shortly by Fiona doing the same with the Treant Velvet. Syrik takes a moment to look over both items, his eyes darting about to ascertain potential use. "This flowering bud could be made into a nice pair of boots; it also holds a lot of mana, so I could probably make a spiffy staff out of it." Turning his attention to the Treant Velvet, he follows, "Now this? This velvet is gonna make for one Hell of a coat. The energies comin' out of this will bring out the potential of alchemists like Fae."

Placing a finger to her lips, Fae asks, "So it only boosts my healing abilities?" Syrik nods to her. "No speed boost?" He shakes his head. "What about luck?" He shakes his head again. Fae looks to Cyrus and says, "I think I'll keep my Polka." She falls silent, but quickly tugs at Cyrus' leg to capture his attention again. "U- Uncle? I have a request."

He drops to one knee to better make eye contact with the child. "It must be serious. What's on your mind, little one?"

"Do you think we can try fighting that weird Mounting Horror thing?" Everyone's eyes go wide at the question, with Cyrus and Fiona reeling backwards from shock. "I was observing the thing and I have a pretty good idea of what Ailments work."

"Oh, do you now? I'm intrigued." He receives a light slap to the back of his head from Fiona. "Love, please; my niece is trying to drop knowledge."

"P- Please don't fight…"

Fiona drops to one knee in turn, resting a hand on Fae's shoulder as her features soften. "We're not fighting, sweetie." She looks to Cyrus; "You're not serious, are you?"

"Depends on what Fae's findings can tell me." He gestures to the child, prompting her to speak.

"It's weak to Blind, Arm Bind, and Leg Bind; and unlike most monsters, its Instant Death resistance is pretty low. I bet the Princess could land Fatal Reap without putting it to sleep first." Fiona asks for the Mounting Horror's resistance to Sleep, to which Fae responds by looking towards the ground. "That wouldn't be a good idea; that monster resists Sleep…oh, and it's immune to Panic, but we never use that anyway."

Cyrus takes a seat on the ground, holding his chin in his hand to facilitate his ponderings. "The creature is weak to the physical trio, and seems to be a competent magic wielder if its use of perfect clones is any indication." Glancing at Fae, he asks, "Why do you want to fight this FOE, Fae?"

"Well, I um…" She takes a deep breath, exhaling after steeling her nerves. "Aunt Gwen was pretty sad when she couldn't buy that sword for you. We haven't bought a new katana in a long time, so I thought…you know, maybe that FOE's fingers might turn into a strong one."

Aiding in his ally's explanation, Hayato says, "You've acted as support for awhile now, Cyrus. The Inabakyo is great for status infliction, but it would probably be a good idea to get you something to use for dealing proper damage, too."

Cyrus nods to this before rising to his feet. "Do you believe us capable of victory, Fae?"

"Uh huh!"

"Very well." Looking to Syrik, he pulls out his wallet. "We're going to need a few things."

"Leave it to me!"

After making its purchases, the group returns to Jenetta's Inn to slot Valerie into the party. In addition to the Cradle Edge, she also carries her Harpe, which she has equipped for the upcoming encounter. "It's been awhile since Fae and I matched our weapons." She looks to the child in question. "You sounded pretty confident about the whole plan, too; I'll try to not let you down." The party ascends to the Empyreal Bridge, where Arken awaits them. Even before Valerie can take in the locale, she is surprised by Arken's new visage. "Did you increase your power level or something?"

Arken chuckles at the idea. "You could say I revealed my true form."

"Glad you're not our enemy, otherwise we'd have another boss fight on our hands." She looks around to take in the locale. "This place…has seen better days. Is it supposed to look so devastated?"

"Yes. 'Tis the result of spatial distortions; you will grow used to the sight in time." She looks to Cyrus as she asks, "What will our course be for this venture?" He provides a brief explanation. "You wish to face a Mounting Horror in combat? I wish you luck. If you're ready, we can begin our trek now."

The group proceeds to the great expanse of B3, where a lone Mounting Horror awaits. The creature turns to face its prey, flashing its toothy smile. Valerie's Miasma Armor triggers automatically as she draws her scythe. She rushes into the fray first, carpeting the immediate area with a thick Wilting Miasma. Cyrus blankets the area in a Black Mist and calls for Fae to use the Sleep Gas. Though the bomb scores a direct hit, the creature remains standing and alert. In response, Cyrus and Hayato quickly make use of Phantom Swords and Haste Prayer. Turning its attention to Valerie, the Mounting Horror makes a few swift gestures with its hands to summon a spiraling inferno on the Harbinger's location. A scream sounds from within, falling silent as soon as it was uttered. The flames promptly disperse, leaving Valerie's form slumped to the ground.

Pulling out a Dark Bomb, Fae rushes towards the enemy. "Prince, pick up the Princess! Uncle, keep it busy!" She tosses her bomb, successfully impairing the vision of the enemy. ' _We still need Wilting Miasma so I don't think I can use Smokeblight._ '

The Mounting Horror summons a pillar of flame on Cyrus' location, missing the mark as the man casually tosses his sword behind him and warps to it. While the flames continue to rage, he hurls his blade through the spiral, embedding it within the conjurer. He warps to the sword, driving the blade deeper as he glares into his enemy's eyes. "You've made a grave mistake." He wrenches his sword, eliciting a screech from the creature; he performs a back step, granting Fiona room to thrust a frigid blade into the FOE. Glancing to the side, he can see Valerie rising to her feet. His attention quickly returns to the Mounting Horror as his left eye takes on an icy blue glow. "We need the Hail Prayer!"

Though Hayato triggers the effect of his card before the Mounting Horror can act, his efforts are not enough to defend the party from the oncoming damage. Everyone except Fae reacts with enough speed to dodge the large icicles hurtling towards them; to alleviate an otherwise fatal blow, Fae defends herself with her scythe. The weapon intercepts the icicle, protecting its wielder from certain death, but the force of the impact is more than enough to knock the child unconscious. Valerie swings her scythe at the beast in an effort to slay it, but her blade fails to cut deep enough.

Cyrus dodges another raging inferno, unleashing a volley of four thrusts to keep the monster's attention. With assistance from Fiona's follow-ups, his efforts are successful, granting Valerie a clean opening to bring her scythe down upon the creature's head from behind. The Mounting Horror is decapitated and ceases all movement as a result. With the battle concluded, the party revives Fae. She sits up with a groan, holding a hand to her chest. "Did we win?" Cyrus nods to her, holding the child close as a relived sigh escapes him. "I couldn't dodge that icicle; it was too fast."

Fiona nods to this. "We'll have to teach you how to parry in the near future." She turns her attention to the corpse of their fallen foe. Valerie is already harvesting the fingers of the creature, leaving Fiona to search for anything else of use. Her gaze soon falls on the severed locks of hair that were cut by the blade of Valerie's scythe. She picks them up, noting the smooth and silky texture. "These are well-kept…and oddly beautiful to look at." She looks to Cyrus as she asks, "You think we could make something out of these?"

"It's possible, yes. Let's head back." He looks to Arken. "We'll be back soon."

"I might as well join you; I admit that I am starting to miss the bustle of Iorys."

To this effect, the group departs from the Labyrinth. For reasons unbeknownst to all but Cyrus, they return to Jenetta's Inn rather than the marketplace. Gwenivere is downstairs along with Lissa, Clarisse, and Balto; she currently sits atop a cushion, grooming the fur of her companion. She looks to the others, a smile on her face. "You've returned sooner than expected, and with our good friend Arken, too." She notices that Fae is holding something disconcerting; "Sweetheart…is that a severed finger?" She then realizes that she recognizes the finger, her eyes widening in horror. "Did you all just face that dreadful FOE?"

Fae nods, stepping forward as she offers the finger to Gwenivere. She whispers, "Uncle said he was interested in a new katana."

Gwenivere's eyes shift to look at Cyrus, who is currently occupied recounting the battle to Lissa and Clarisse. She looks back to Fae, dropping her own voice to a whisper. "And you believe this will turn into a suitable upgrade?" Fae nods; Gwenivere hugs the child and plants a kiss on her cheek. "You're a real angel, little one." She rises to her feet, taking her place at Fae's side. She clears her throat and says, "I shall take it upon myself to sell these materials to Syrik; I'll take Fae with me so that she may practice her haggling skills, but I implore the rest of you take a respite."

Arching an eyebrow at this, Cyrus asks, "And what would you know about haggling, love?"

"Hm? Had I not told you that I've been taking lessons from Tasha? She's been teaching me for two years now."

"That would explain the increase in her visit frequency; I had just assumed she was there to see Leslie."

"Before you ruminate on that, I'm going to need a vial of your blood."

He begins to reach into his bag as he says, "Oh, sure th- wait…what?"

"Darling, time is of the essence; please just bleed for me." Cyrus stares at her for a moment before he shrugs. He sifts through his bag, soon pulling from it a vial filled with a crimson liquid. He hands this over to her, receiving a brief kiss on the lips in return. "You have my thanks." She then departs from the inn with Fae and the procured materials in tow. A smirk traces itself upon her lips as her stride becomes more pronounced and confident. "I cannot thank you enough for this, Fae."

"Why do you need Uncle's blood?"

"Ah, that; I guess I should explain. You see…"

Similar to Fae, Clarisse expresses some concerns for what just transpired. "Why the Hell do you carry your own blood around?"

Cyrus and Valerie exchange glances; they nod to one another before the former asks, "You're aware of my ability to warp through using dark magic, yes?"

"Well, duh; you've only been using it since the start of the climb. The Princess can do it too." Lissa, already knowing how this warp magic functions, simply gestures for Cyrus to carry on without her input, leaving her free to drink her water in peace.

Nodding to this, Cyrus begins his explanation. "The magic has some rules to abide by. Valerie and I are capable of warping freely, but only to locations we've physically occupied at some point in time."

Clarisse raises a finger to this, adopting a skeptical expression. "Now hold on, you warp to your swords and katana all the time, and I know you haven't been exploring without us." She pauses on this notion. "You haven't, right?"

Cyrus has a brief laugh over this. "No, no I haven't. Your observation is an astute one. One way Valerie and I get around this restriction is by infusing our blood into our gear. Blood carries the essence of our being; so long as it is carried along in a significant enough quantity, the requirements are met."

Clarisse thinks on this for a moment. "OK…yeah, OK, that makes sense." A thought occurs to her. "Wait, but can't you and the Princess warp to each other?" They both nod to her. "Well, I know you're not related, since Co doesn't have any family left…" Her eyes widen. "It doesn't have to be blood, right? Can it be anything that carries what makes you who you are?" Cyrus nods again. "Princess…are you pregnant with Co's kid?" Lissa performs a spit-take.

"No, but that was a decent guess." She glances at Cyrus before turning her attention back to the curious Rover. "I needed a blood transfusion a long time ago; the Chief is the one who was most compatible with me." She rests her hands in front of her, smiling as she follows, "His blood courses through me now, allowing the two of us to freely warp to each other."

Having recovered from her brief episode, Lissa wipes her mouth. "OK, while we're on the subject, how do you two throw your weapons with perfect accuracy?" Pointing to Valerie, she says, "Princess Deathbringer over there can throw her scythe as if it were a boomerang the way Alex threw his axe around."

"I don't know about this Alex guy, but the Chief and I are using magic. A simple application of lightning magic allows the wielder to remotely control a weapon through magnetism." Jabbing a thumb in Cyrus' direction, she follows, "He could pull his weapon back to him the way I have my scythe make a return trip, but warping is too integrated into his style."

"Huh." Clarisse looks to Balto. "I guess you were right."

"I would like to know more of this Alex fellow."

At the marketplace, Gwenivere and Fae have secured favorable sale prices for their newly-acquired items. Folding her arms, the former of the two studies the Freakish Finger. "If we incorporate some mana-based techniques into the forging process, I think we can bring out some hidden potential of the resulting katana."

"What sort of potential are we talking about here?"

"A blade that sharpens with each successful kill." Fae and Syrik reel back at this.

Syrik pulls back at his collar. "Glad we're not enemies. Anyway, these strands of hair can be turned into an accessory that makes you more resistant to all binds."

"You mean like full immunity, Mr. Syrik?"

He shakes his head to this. "No, but pretty close to it." Looking to Gwenivere, he follows, "Ready to get started?"

"Let's begin." When the hour strikes 11AM, she and Fae return to the inn. Cyrus sits with Lissa and Diana at either side; his reading glasses adorn his face, accentuating the serious expression he wears as he scribes notes into his combat journal. "Darling, we have returned; I have something for you." He looks to her, removing his glasses in turn. From behind her back, she reveals to him a sheathed katana, which she holds out as an offering. "For you, love; please, take it."

He accepts the weapon, offering words of gratitude in turn. He clicks the weapon from its scabbard, and is immediately awash with a torrent of aether coursing through his being. The blade is fully removed, allowing its new owner and those nearby to see its ebon sheen ominously glow in the sunlight filtering through the windows. "Gwen…did you infuse mana into this?"

"I did, yes. This is the second katana I've ever given to you; I wanted to make sure it was special."

Cyrus rotates the weapon in his grip to study its features. "You certainly left no stone unturned." He performs a single slashing motion to bring the blade to his right side; the blade travels along the air, slicing it to cause a distinct sound to ring throughout the room. "This is truly fine work, Gwenivere; thank you." He sheathes the weapon with a flourish before securing to his side. He spreads his arms to invite Gwenivere into an embrace, one she is quick to accept. "I hadn't realized it had bothered you."

"I wish to give back every now and again…to show my appreciation for all that you do."

"I'll be sure to put it to good use soon." He attempts to warp the weapon to a mantle upstairs; surprised to find himself successful, he says, "I guess I know what the blood was for." He gestures for the party that faced the Mounting Horror to rally. "Let's get back to our investigation." Looking to the stairs, he calls out, "Amy! I need you to release Arken!"

The woman pokes her head from the banister above, revealing a pronounced frown commanding her countenance. "Could your timing be any worse?! Arken had just agreed to a tea party with Stacy and me!"

Walking past, Arken says, "My apologies, Sovereign Fist; perhaps some other time." She proceeds downstairs, standing before Cyrus as she says, "I apologize for the wait; let us continue." She can tell that his eyes are directed at the cute green ribbon adorning her hair; she pulls up her hood. "Pay that no heed." The group returns to the Empyreal Bridge once more. Assuming her true form, Arken takes a moment to stretch. The green ribbon decorating her hair is ill-suited to her hair's changes, so she ties it to her right arm instead. "Shall we get going?"

The group makes way for the warp in F6, learning that taking it does not lead to an immediate dead end. Instead, they are given two options. To the left is a warp whose destination aligns with one of the four drop-off points of the very first warp of the floor. Noting this, Hayato says, "So warp destinations can overlap; that's interesting." To the right is a warp that will drop the party off directly in front of the warp located in E7. They take this warp, but refrain from taking the warp directly in front of them at the drop-off point so that they may explore the one in E6 that they passed up. This leads to an area housing land suitable for growing both Moon Apples and Mandrapotato. "Mirina was right; there are no rules to this place."

The only exit from this area effectively places the group back at the start of the floor, forcing them to make the long trek back to the warp in E7 so that their cleaning sweep can continue. The remaining two choices that branch from C7 await their answer. Cyrus says, "I really don't like the implications of the bottom warp, so can we take the top option?" The top warp leads to three paths. "I anticipated this, but really?" After mapping the dead end in B5, he turns around to find three Stardust enemies approaching. He promptly envelops the area in a Black Mist. "Fae, Sleep Gas; Valerie, Wilting Miasma."

The entire enemy trio is put to sleep, granting Valerie enough time to instantly slay two with Fatal Reap. The third wakes up before she can prep her blade, but is unable to extend its Grim Invitation as Fae's next bomb sends it into a panic. The party dispatches it with ease from here. As Cyrus suspected, slaying the creature via Instant Death resulted in its core being properly preserved. He and Fiona share in a bout of manic laughter; Valerie and Hayato break into a coordinated dance as they cheer, leaving Fae to shake her head at the sight. "We're weird people."

Much to their surprise, the southern path of this large area harbors the destination of the warp Cyrus was afraid to take. Another warp is present here as well, marking the second and last option the party must consider at this juncture. Fiona says, "This one will take us back to E6, so no sense in using it. That leaves the warp in C4." Taking this warp places the party on a small path housing three dead ends and a warp. This warp leads to another small path, though it only presents two avenues. The first is a warp, one whose destination is preemptively deduced. The other avenue ends at a treasure chest, which Fiona opens. She pulls from it a regal metal crown; engraved upon it are runes from an ancient time. "Weird, I'm not sensing any boosts from this." She hands it over to Cyrus. "What about you?"

"These runes are for general protection; you'll receive no further bolstering to your abilities if you were to wear this." He looks to Arken. "Considering the floors of this stratum are areas directly connected via warps, am I to assume that the only way to access the southwestern and northeastern edges of this floor would be to warp from somewhere else?"

"Yes. The spatial distortions are numerous and vary in terms of severity, but the Empyreal Bridge is consistently connected."

Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, Cyrus says, "Then we're done with this floor for the moment. We'll commence the exploration of the 27th after a brief respite."


	62. Paths Lit by Heaven

**Chapter 62: Paths Lit by Heaven**

A brief celebration is held at Jenetta's Inn upon the Seekers' return. As was suspected by the exploration party, the Starstruck Sugar procured from the Stardust creatures was, indeed, the material necessary for the production of Amrita II. Stacy and Valerie in particular enjoyed each other's company, drinking and celebrating louder than anyone else. The two were quite disappointed when they were pulled apart; even now, as Valerie walks with her team to the Geomagnetic Pole on the outskirts of the city, she wears a pout. "Work is work, I guess…" She steps up to the 27th floor with her allies for the first time, noting the increased distortions around them. "Yeah, Arken wasn't joking."

"You will find that your foes shall become more distorted as well; be cautious." She watches as Cyrus pulls out a small bell and gives it a few gentle rings. Its chime resounds throughout the area, offering a soothing echo. Arken chuckles at this.

A thought occurs to Valerie. "Hey…how come we can hear each other if we're in space? Actually…shouldn't we be dead?"

"Ah, we are not exposed to the harsh elements of space; after all, the Empyreal Bridge is meant for travel."

"I see. Your race must be advanced to have developed such tech."

"And for just one member to nurture a planet? Why, if you were in our realm, you'd be viewed as a proper deity."

"I haven't a doubt of that, but I am not one for such labels."

The group heads west, finding a tree growing Moon Apples but nothing else of interest. On the way back, the group is beset by a trio of enemies, two of which are a new species. Flitting about are two winged imps, green in color. Their large beady red eyes are featureless, staring down the group with blank expressions. Fae tosses a Chaos Bomb preemptively, successfully inflicting Panic on the lone Stardust accompanying these imps. Drawing his sword, Cyrus shades his eyes at the enemy. "Fae, try throwing another Chaos Bomb. Fiona, Hayato; we're sniping the imp on the left; Valerie, Fatal Reap the other Imp."

Charging in first, Cyrus delivers a Deft Thrust, stabbing into the membrane of the creature's left wing. The creature shifts backwards, but is unable to avoid Fiona's blazing sword thrusting into its shoulder. Fiona jumps back to give Hayato a clear shot, following up with another blazing thrust. ' _Wait, there's an opening!_ ' She removes her blade, only to promptly thrust it into the creature's face to end its life. Keeping her momentum, she makes use of Chain Burst to stab into the remaining Alluring Imp.

Fae's bomb fails to inflict Panic, which proves to be problematic for the rest of the party, for the Alluring Imp points its finger at the front line and speaks words that only Cyrus can understand. "Thick thighs do not save lives; you're nothing but a tasteless rogue."

The air goes still, as do all of the combatants. Cyrus stands motionless, his eyes wide in disbelief. Fiona and Valerie take a step towards him, but hesitate as an aura of hatred permeates the battlefield. Cyrus' voice goes dark and cold, his gaze shaded into a hard leer capable of burning through steel. "You insult my culture, and the very women I have sworn to protect?"

The imp smirks. "You mad, bro?"

The ground caves in beneath Cyrus' feet; his voice becomes distorted, an unnerving combination of his own and Wrath's. "I'll destroy you!" His eyes take on a pink glow, becoming akin to swirls; the eyes of Fiona and Valerie follow suit, leaving Fae and Hayato to pick up the pieces.

Grabbing an herb to bring Valerie back to her senses, Fae prepares to rush into the fray. "Prince, use Aegis Prayer!" As Hayato carries out this order, she carefully makes her way to Valerie. The woman swings her scythe with great dexterity, albeit aimlessly. Her voice is frantic, desperately shouting that whatever she thinks she's attacking won't take her father away from her. "H- Hold on." As Valerie's eyes return to normal, a smile forms on Fae's lips. Just as quickly as this smile forms, her face is plagued with an expression of shock and pain. A stinging pain surges across her back, bringing with it a cold yet burning wet sensation. She slightly turns her head to see Fiona's blade is drenched with blood – her blood. The crazed look in Fiona's eyes sends a shiver down the child's spine. ' _Why did Fi-Fi attack me?_ ' Her lips motion to ask this question, only for her to lose consciousness and hit the ground.

Hayato rushes towards Fiona upon seeing this happen; his comrade is raising her sword to strike Fae again. He tackles her to the ground, pinning her sword arm down so that he may force her to drink a bottle of Therica B. This grants Valerie enough time to swing her scythe at the Alluring Imp, killing it instantly. Cyrus returns to his senses, seeing his allies in distress. He revives Fae and then leads his allies to finish the still-panicked Stardust. As he tends to Fae's wounds, the party falls silent. "Panic is always the worst of the Ailments."

"Fae, I'm so sorry; you know I'd never willingly attack you like that."

"Y- Yeah, I know, Fi-Fi; the look in your eyes was so scary…" Her attention turns to Cyrus next. "And Uncle…he was even scarier than he gets when he ignores his injuries." She looks amongst her comrades. "What do we do against those things?"

Cyrus thinks on it for a moment. "If Valerie's Miasma Armor triggers on its own, she'll support your Chaos Bomb with Wilting Miasma. If not, we'll have to burn Black Mist." He picks up Fae and rests her on his back. "Save your walking strength for when you need it. I'll take it slow." The group approaches the first warp, approaching it from the left side. They are warped to E5, where another warp and the exit-end of a shortcut reside. Taking out the map, Cyrus says, "This will take us back to the 26th floor." Taking this warp does indeed return the party to Area 1 of the Empyreal Bridge, but the only path available forces them back to the section of the area that ultimately loops back to the Geomagnetic Pole. Pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread, Cyrus adopts a distinct frown. "That's just rude."

They immediately return to Area 2, approaching the initial warp from its bottom side. Doing this warps the group to a floating island harboring another warp; this unit can be approached from three points: top, right, and bottom. Approaching from the top will send the group back to the beginning of the Area, scratching it from the list of options instantly. Though usually silent, Arken says, "I suggest we approach from the right." Doing so forces the party to make use of a warp that returns them to this juncture. Arken breathes a sigh of relief. "I was…afraid, afraid that I might force us to return to the start."

Valerie pats her on the shoulder, smiling as she says, "You worry too much." Continuing along, the group is brought to an area that, while possessed of multiple potential paths, only yields one to the group. After marking the exit-end of another shortcut, the group approaches the warp at the edge of D3 from the right side. Now three options are available. "Our first door of this Area, along with two warps that only let us approach from one side." She looks to Cyrus. "What's your take, Chief?"

"Let's see what lies beyond this door first." Beyond this door is an empty space. "Well…alright then. Let's take that right warp first." This warp forces the party onto a path that will send them back to the beginning. Cyrus face-palms. "Gods take me. I'm sorry, everyone."

Fae pats him on the head. "It's OK, Uncle."

Fiona nods to this. "Better to get the egregious dead ends out of the way now." Returning to D3, the party is beset by a massive three-headed dog with a tail whose tip emits a wispy flame. "Holy shit! Is that Cerberus?!" The creature's heads bark in unison. "Cyrus? Translation!"

"We'll be taking your souls, feeble mortals."

She draws her sword. "Yeah, that's what I figured."

"Valerie, Fae; I leave this to you." Heeding his word, they work together to put the giant dog to sleep, followed by Valerie instantly ending its life with Fatal Reap. "Excellent work, you two."

Arken looks to him. "You only sent in two party members?"

"Part of our job as explorers requires us to understand when everyone's power is necessary, and when it is best to consolidate. Knowing what Ailments are best suited for the situation is going to be imperative up here." Continuing on, Cyrus draws the map, preemptively marking the drop-off points of warps before they are taken. "The map is a bit of a confusing mess, but the logic is simple." A warp in E2 is approached from its right side, sending the group on a course with few pressing choices to make as far as warps are concerned. "The destinations are getting easier to narrow down, so we can deduce the egregious dead ends." As the hour strikes midnight, he and his group approach a warp in D2 from its left side. Soon after, the group reaches D5, where a warp boasting golden rings resides. "Arken? What is this?"

He turns to face her, showing a concerned countenance that appears to be struck with the sting of betrayal. "This is the only warp left to us, Runic Gale." They take it, dreading what new rules it will bring. "Hm, the yellow warps take us ten tiles ahead instead of five." She watches as Cyrus takes out the maps of both areas and makes a myriad of color-based corrections. "Is…something amiss?"

"I must color code these properly!" Having been using orange paint for the warps thus far, he swaps out all of these instances for blue. "I just hope there are no green warps." Putting away the map for Area 1, he sighs. "We still need to find a shortcut at the very least." Two steps are taken before the presence of a powerful enemy washes over him. He looks to the right, his eyes accosted by the sight of a tall creature with horns similar in structure to Wrath's. Its pasty white skin greatly contrasts with the darkness of the surrounding void of space. Its limbs, garbed in some sort of armor that looks akin to bone, pulsate with visible red features; its arms end in a trio of glistening black claws. Red markings are also upon its chest and stomach, its face being almost completely red save for its purple eyes. "Yeah, no."

Another golden warp is nearby; the Seekers make way for it, quickly noting that the creature is not pursuing them. Before stepping into the golden warp, Hayato says, "That creature only seems to move when we're in its line of sight."

Folding her arms, Valerie follows, "And yet it's not inherently aggressive." The golden warp places the party directly in front of the entry-way of the shortcut located at the bottom edge of E5. A blue warp is here as well, boasting three drop-off points. Cyrus quickly notes these drop-off points, stating that approaching from the left is the only path worth exploring. Valerie reaches into his pocket to pull out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "We didn't expend much energy, but Fae needs sleep. Arken, you're coming with us."

"I appreciate the concern, but I have no need for sle-"

"Irrelevant." They return to the entrance of the activated shortcut the following morning. "Alright, let's get back to it." Glancing behind, she can see Hayato holding onto a purple card. "What card is that for, Lord Hayato? I've never seen you use that one before."

"I've been on the fence about where my skill focus should go for awhile now. Ever since the Chain Squad perfected its setup, Haste Prayer is all I've had to practice using." He holds up the purple card to show it to the rest of his comrades; the way the surface flashes its sheen in the light of the nearby stars grants the card a visage suggesting it is concealed in protective plastic. "After our experience last night, I decided to practice the Exorcism Prayer that my mother taught me."

Fae asks, "That's the one that raises our resistance to Ailments and Binds, right?"

"That's right; here's hoping it stops that Panic-inducing skill." He disperses the card and returns to the investigation at hand. The blue warp beyond the shortcut is approached from the left, for the remaining avenues from the right and bottom will result in unwanted backtracking. They are placed in the center of the large open area where the tall FOE was discovered. A blue warp sits at the bottom of this area. "We'll end up back at the shortcut if we take that." He looks at the FOE, and then at the blue warp. "Cyrus, do you think this warp is actually part of the puzzle?"

Glancing at the still FOE, Cyrus gives a single nod. "Let me test something." He steps onto the creature's path; the tall being takes a single step forward, completely ignoring the others as it focuses on Cyrus. Stepping off the path, he notes that the creature does not make an effort to attack despite being within striking distance of its intruders. Tilting his head at this, Cyrus asks, "You're a patient one, aren't you?"

To his surprise, the creature responds. "It is the greatest virtue, human."

Having no reply to give, Cyrus nods to the creature before leading his comrades to the as of yet unused yellow warp. The drop-off point places the group in an area holding a Moon Apple tree and two warps. Cyrus falls to his knees, holding his arms up to the stars above as a cry of anguish is loosed from his throat. "There's a green warp!" He falls onto his back, his head turning to direct his attention at Arken. A whisper glazed over with a smattering of hurt asks her, "But why?"

She holds a hand to her chest, her eyes conveying a tinge of guilt. She motions to speak, but falters, for no words reach her lips. "My apologies, Runic Gale." Cyrus picks himself up, brushing off his clothes. "Are you well enough to continue?"

"Yeah…this is fine. Let's test this green warp." When the party materializes, they are standing on a small isle housing a blue warp and a yellow warp. Cyrus looks around, noting a difference in spatial distortion. "Wait…this is Area 1; we're back on the 26th floor?" He checks the two maps, counting off how far the green warp transported his group. "1, 2…20? We were warped 20 tiles away according to the map." He points at the yellow warp as he says, "That one will take us back to the ascending warp leading to Area 2, so we're ignoring that one."

Fiona glances at the map as she says, "This blue one leads to unexplored territory." As the hour strikes 9AM, the group reaches two warps, one blue, the other green. "Hm, so both of these will take us to Area 2, but both drop-offs are unexplored territory."

Valerie folds her arms. "We took a green one to get here, so maybe the blue warp is our path of progress this time?" They take her suggestion, being sent to a platform housing four warps, all but one of which leading to unexplored territory. Valerie holds her hands to either side of her head as her expression turns to one of distress. "What in the Seven Hells is this?!"

Noting the drop-off points in advance, Cyrus says, "At the very least, we can only approach these from one side. The yellow warp looks like it will lead to the same location as the green warp we elected to not take back in Area 1." He looks to the blue warp tucked in a southwestern corner. "That leaves us with this blue warp and the green warp that will lead even further in." Fae tugs at his leg. "Yes, little one?"

Pointing at the yellow warp, she says, "I think the yellow warp is right answer." Directing his attention to the map, she follows, "It looks like it'll drop us off right in front of an FOE; FOEs always mean progress, right?"

The logic is sound, to be true. He looks to the rest of his allies. "With that in mind, should we take the blue warp to explore potential dead ends or should we just proceed as is?"

Valerie says, "Let's flip a coin." Cyrus shrugs at this as he pulls out a flat coin. He flips it high into the air using his thumb, but the coin does not return to him, for it is snatched out of the sky by an Emperor Falcon speeding overhead. "Well shit." Fae grabs her hand, directing her towards the blue warp. "Y- Yeah, let's get out of here."

The blue warp does not lead to an immediate dead end, instead placing the group on course for a treasure chest. Fiona picks up Fae, squeezing her in a tight and loving embrace. "Thank you, little one!"

"Aw, you're welcome, Fi-Fi…what did I do?" She is handed off to Cyrus, who allows Fae to sit on his shoulder. She watches as Fiona pulls some sort of orb comprised of mana from the chest. The item boasts a fine polish, and faintly glows in an odd combination of colors. Pointing to it, she asks, "What kind of orb is that?"

Cyrus answers, "Looks to be a Divine Orb; people use these for rituals to receive blessings. For explorers like us, it would provide an energy boost."

"So Clarisse or Aunt Gwen would really like it." Doubling back from the treasure chest, Fae and her allies make way towards a blue warp whose destination seems to lead directly to the entry-way for one of the other shortcuts discovered during the previous excursion. "Weird, maybe this was the way forward after all…" A quartet of enemies besets them; "Huh?" Her attention is caught by a trio of Emperor Falcon at the front; she tosses a Toxic Bomb instinctively, successfully poisoning two of them. "There's an imp on the back line!" Hayato draws the card for the Exorcism Prayer upon hearing this, tossing it to the sky to summon a purple veil to protect his allies.

Valerie activates her Miasma Armor automatically, snapping her fingers to summon a Wilting Miasma. "Chief, give us a Black Mist; Fae, Chaos Bomb!"

Fiona rushes in, calling out to the party's leader, "Cyrus, we're taking out these birds!" Fae jumps off of Cyrus' shoulder, granting him increased mobility as he charges in to deliver a Deft Thrust to the one Emperor Falcon that wasn't poisoned. Fiona performs a flash step, practically warping into the falcon's blind spot to deliver a frigid thrust to its head. She wrenches her blade from the now deceased creature while pivoting on her heel, maintaining momentum to strike another falcon with Chain Burst. This results in a kill as well, allowing her to maintain momentum to slay the final falcon before it can react. ' _…Hot damn, that was awesome!_ '

The Alluring Imp makes an effort to taunt the front line. As its provocations grow louder and more intense, a voice sounds through the heads of Fiona and Valerie. ' _You are a fortress; none can breach your fortified walls. The mumblings of the ignorant are of no concern to you._ ' They both take in a deep breath and exhale, maintaining their composure but still receiving the empowering effects of the taunt. The voice speaks to them again; ' _Yes, that's right; their efforts to bring you down will only lift you higher._ '

Cyrus, on the other hand, is being enabled by Wrath. ' _ **What in the Seven Hells does this idiot know about good manga? How dare he insult Pedantic Eclectics? They're the best doujinshi circle around! Cyrus, kill that bastard!**_ ' Cyrus' eyes take on a pink glow, becoming akin to swirls as he looses a cry of vengeance…and charges at a nearby tree. His voice takes on Wrath's usual distortion as they both shout, "For the brotherhood!" Fae sighs at this, but keeps her focus on the imp since there is no opportunity to take care of Cyrus. When the man recovers, the battle is over. "Huh? What happened?" He looks around, not seeing the Alluring Imp; "Where did he go?"

Fae grabs his hand, directing him to the blue warp ahead. "Come on, Uncle; we need to keep moving." The blue warp returns the group to C3, much to their dismay. "…Aw…do we have to start over?" Unfortunately, the answer she receives is an affirmative one. The party returns to where the first green warp is located at around noon. The blue warp is taken instead. This warp yields a treasure chest containing 60 thousand ental, as well as a blue warp to take the party back to the juncture. "Well that was nice of them…for once."

As the party is dropped off onto the same path as the tall white FOE, they notice that it does not take a step towards them. A green warp lies to the south; its drop-off point, as noted by Cyrus, will put the group back at the platform containing the four warps they had to choose from. The FOE stands directly in front of the blue warp leading out of this area, forcing the party to lure it far enough away to give themselves an opening. They eventually reach an even larger expanse containing another of this FOE's species. This expanse also houses three warps – two blue, one yellow.

Fiona says, "A group of enemies is trying to get the drop on us; take care to not step into the FOE's range when we engage."

Cyrus turns around to see a Dreamray and Cerberus rushing towards the party. He takes a step forward and swiftly adopts a stance that causes both enemies to stop in their tracks. The dog eyes the man carefully while the Dreamray waits for its chance to strike. He pulls a ball from his pocket, catching the three-headed dog's attention. "You want the ball?" The creature's tail wags enthusiastically. He quickly moves the ball to the side, prompting the Cerberus to move all three of its heads in turn. "You want the ball?" The creature starts breathing rapidly; Cyrus tosses the ball at the Dreamray, which sticks to the target. "Go get it!" Upon realizing the ball is stuck to its being, the Dreamray flees; the Cerberus closely follows behind. "That was easy."

The yellow warp of the expanse is ignored, for it will simply put the party back in the room with the previous FOE. The blue warp that leads to progress is once again guarded by the tall FOE, necessitating another dance to bypass it. The group then ends up on a small strip of debris housing five warps, one of which is purple. Fiona points at this warp, donning an upset countenance. "A purple moon gate?! Moon gates have never been purple!" A second yellow warp sits alone. "Where does that one lead?"

"It…drops us off right in front of the shortcut we were trying to reach."

She grabs his hand as she walks towards it. "That'll be our destination, then. We can't even begin to guess where the three known colored warps will take us since we haven't visited Area 3 yet, and don't get me started on the purple one." After the party activates the shortcut so that it works from both ends, they return to the quartet of warps. "We're really taking the purple one, aren't we?"

Arken asks, "From where does this ire stem, Endless Tempest?"

Fiona sighs. "I used to play Labyrinths & Drakes with my original Guild a long time ago. Their used to be two varieties of moon gates – red and blue. 3rd Edition introduced a new kind, purple, but completely destroyed the lore of the game's world as a result. Purple moon gates are betrayal."

Fae asks, "We're on 6th Edition now, right?"

"Yeah, and they still haven't addressed these damn purple gates."

"Do you wish to turn back?" She shakes her head. "Are you certain?"

She nods to him. "I have you lot with me; Yggdrasil isn't the same as that Tabletop game."

The group steps into the purple warp together, soon finding themselves warped to a new Area of the Empyreal Bridge. A shift in the atmosphere is immediately felt. Arken raises her voice, putting forth a stern order. "Everyone, remain still." They do as they are told. "Toxins from the void have pooled together on this floor." The party looks around, noting that pools of toxic substances are indeed covering the ground. What's more, a yellow subspecies of the Popping Gel hops in place not too far away. Pointing at it, Arken says, "Be wary of that creature. It may seem harmless, but it is capable of completely draining your stamina."

Fiona shades a leer at the creature. "It attacks our TP…" She sighs; looking to Cyrus, she finds him making a note on the map. "What's the verdict on the purple warps?"

"Two possibilities. The preferable possibility is that purple warps drop you off at the exact same tile on a different floor, but it's also possible – and more likely – that it's a 30-tile warp." He pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "Regardless, this is a bad starting point; we're heading back." Their first stop is the marketplace, where they intend to sell off materials to Syrik. The young merchant wears a sullen expression. "Something the matter, Syrik?"

"Huh?" He lifts his head to find the Seekers holding materials. "Oh, hey guys. It's nothin'; I got a letter from home – they're inviting me to the next Zepheria Exchange."

Fae's expression lights up at this. "Ooh, now's your chance, Mr. Syrik! Are you gonna go?"

"I want to, but I'm leaning towards staying here in Iorys. I wanna see your adventure through to the end."

Cyrus asks, "When does the Exchange begin?"

"A few weeks, but I have plenty of time to get home and prepare. Why do you ask?"

"The 6th Stratum will be completed very soon." Syrik and Arken both recoil at his confident boast. "The item we obtain from the creature waiting at the Stratum's end will turn into the strongest katana in the land, but none in the Seekers have need for it. As such, we would turn the material over to you so that you may present it at the Zepheria Exchange." He smirks as he follows, "A Coelistis takes care of his own, Syrik; you know well my creed at this point."

"Thanks…it really means a lot to me, Cyrus. So how's exploration goin'?"

Fae says, "We just made it to the 28th floor; the place is still really weird. Um, how many Sharp Batfangs do we have left? We need Sleep Gas."

"Uh…five, I think."

Looking to Cyrus, Fae says, "We might need to gather more from the 4th Stratum…"

"Indeed. I'll take inventory when we get back to the inn." With their business concluded, the group bids farewell to Syrik and makes way for the Twilight Tavern. "You seemed surprise back there, Arken."

"I was, yes. You all seem so unfazed by the incomprehensible creatures that dwell in the void. And to claim you'll have the Stratum completed in a short time – is this confidence or hubris?"

"Neither, I'd say. I said it before, but this is our duty to the people. So long as the Seekers rally behind me, I shall lead them to success and bring hope to the people counting on us." He opens the door to the tavern for the rest of the group, stepping inside behind them. Raising a hand, he says, "Matron, we're back!"

"Welcome, welcome! How goes the journey?" After a brief recount, she nods to them. "The 28th floor, huh? Do you think this Stratum will follow the same 5-floor structure as the others?"

"Barring the Forgotten Capital in Tharsis, every Yggdrasil Labyrinth has been consistent in terms of Stratum floor count. The Empyreal Bridge is unlikely to be different in that regard, though I will admit that its "floors" are not traditional. It's more like…the different areas are on the same level."

"That's curious. Maybe you can show me your maps once the 28th floor is charted?"

"Yes, certainly; it'll help to have another brain to piece this together. Any quests?"

"I do, actually. The 5th Stratum is in total chaos at the moment. Some octopus-looking monsters have invaded." Everyone raises an eyebrow to this, with Cyrus and Fiona motioning a bit closer to the counter. "They're all still on the 25th floor right now, but there's no telling when they'll move to lower floors."

Cyrus rises from seat. "We'll take care of this. Seekers, let's move." As he walks towards the door, a thought occurs to him. ' _Now that I think about it, we never did harvest from the Chop Points of the 5_ _th_ _Stratum…we should rectify that while we're out._ '


	63. A Reunion and A Request

**Chapter 63: A Reunion and A Request**

Upon departing from the Twilight Tavern, the Seekers make way for the 25th floor. Once they materialize they are greeted with the sight of Xenopods from the 6th Stratum floating about with nary a care. Higher up are Xenopods holding smaller denizens of the Untamed Garden as captives, their nail-like protrusions jammed into the heads of their still and limp bodies. Fae takes a few steps forward to stand at Cyrus' side; looking up, she sees a dark visage upon the leader's countenance, fueled by rage and defined by an overtly pronounced bloodlust.

"U- Uncle? Are you OK?" He grants no verbal answer, at least not immediately, instead exhaling to facilitate the act of making his expression less severe. He takes a knee to pat Fae on the head before silently conveying that she should climb upon his back. She does so, patting his shoulder to convey that she is ready to go. Cyrus draws his sword and takes a step forward ahead of his comrades. "What's wrong?"

"These creatures disrupt the balance; they must be punished." He speaks no further on the matter as he glances back to his remaining comrades, who each nod to announce their readiness. Cyrus removes a single Beast Bell from his pocket and gives it a few shakes; this catches the attention of the Xenopods, many of which rush to the Seekers' location. "We're on the hunt; let's move." After slaying close to 20 Xenopods, the Seekers sense a much stronger presence rapidly approaching. Cyrus casually performs a sidestep to avoid being tackled by a much larger representative of the species. Looking at the creature, Cyrus can see that it is infuriated. "I'll give you something to be upset about." Hayato calls for everyone in the party to move, denying the Xenolord its chance to blindside the group. "Fae, ready the Sleep Gas."

Pulling a bomb from her belt, she says, "I'll do my best." She waits until the battlefield is blanketed in a Black Mist; the Xenolord looks around in confusion, granting Fae the chance to pull the grenade pin with her teeth and toss it at her unsuspecting foe. The creature slumps to the ground; "I got it!"

Cyrus calls for everyone to fall back. "Let's make our preparations and take it down." Fae tosses a Dark Bomb at the target to expose it to the debilitating effects of the bomb; she tosses Smokeblight immediately after. Readying a second Dark Bomb, she looks to Cyrus for the signal. "Lissa, you'll use our remaining Black Mist after the creature is given a wake-up call."

"Sounds like a plan." She raises her cannon and promptly shoots the Xenolord in the face. As its eyes open, Cyrus fires three sets of frigid blades to impair its depth perception. As the creature recoils from the sudden sight of multiple copies of the party members, a Black Mist just as quickly turns the field dark again; Fae tosses the Dark Bomb, successfully securing the umbral veil around the creature. Fiona rises to her feet, sword prepped for combat. Hayato performs a circular dance around her, ending with a backflip that triggers a fiery explosion that pushes the Xenolord backwards.

Fiona charges forward, surging her blade into the enemy; a cry of agony sounds from the creature as it flails about mindlessly in an effort to deter its foes. One of its tendrils swings at Cyrus, who dodges with a gradual move of his head. He charges into the fray to stab the creature four times in quick succession, granting Fiona another chance to stab the creature with a blazing sword. She feels compelled to strike again, heeding the urge without resistance and slaying the Xenolord in turn. She sheathes her sword, breathing a sigh of relief. "That was an easy victory." She looks to her comrades to find that none of them are harmed, which brings a smile to her face. "How are we on time, Cyrus?"

"It's 3PM right now." Fiona's eyebrow arches at the claim. "We were fighting those Xenopods for longer than I realized."

Lissa nods to this, holstering her cannon as she says, "That is to say nothing of the ones that tried to run away." She looks around to find that the remaining Xenopods are dispersing, no doubt tossed into disarray by the loss of their leader. "I've always wondered how creatures in the wild just instinctively know when their leaders are gone." She shrugs, walking over to Cyrus to pull a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket. As it begins to unravel, she says, "Let's report to Mirina." As the party steps into the tavern, she raises a hand to hail the proprietress; "We're back!"

"That took a while, huh?" As the party recounts the events of the quest, Mirina finds herself impressed with the supposed level of ease with which the Seekers dispatched the invaders. "You sure know how to handle your business." She chuckles to herself as she places a sheathed katana on the counter. Sliding it towards Cyrus, she says, "Thanks for keeping Yggdrasil safe; here's your reward."

He takes the weapon in hand and removes it from the sheath. The katana sports a short blade, one that is best used as a dagger. "Blades of this make are often used on the battlefield as a means of…granting mercy to those suffering." The somber tone with which he says this, coupled with the sad stare he now wears, places a chilling pall upon the area. He sheathes the weapon before securing it among the Guild's belongings. "Thank you for the weapon, Mirina." He motions for the party to follow him; "If you'll excuse us, we need to return to the 5th Stratum."

"Hm? Did you forget something?"

"Yes. We never gathered from the Chop Points." Mirina tilts her head at this, adopting a perplexed visage in turn. "Yeah, I only just thought about it." He assembles a gathering party and returns to the 5th Stratum. Returning to the 23rd floor, the party quickly makes way for the Chop Point nearest to the pillar that descends to the 22nd floor. The yield of this area consists of only two types of material but yields one in bulk. The party harvests copious amounts of Pliable Bark, a translucent material scraped from a fallen tree. "Hm…exposure to fire might cause this to melt instead of burn like regular wood."

Diana studies the bark alongside her son, nodding in agreement. "How curious…" Looking to the single unit of the other material procured from this location, she says, "This is a fine branch, though it's difficult to bend."

Gwenivere says, "It will make for a fine bow if Syrik can find a skilled artisan. Shall we move on to the next spot? Where might it be?" Lissa unfurls the map to show Gwenivere her answer. The next Chop Point is a good walk away from here, located in D4. "Hm, looks like it will make for a decent stretch of our legs." She promptly transforms into a raven, perching upon Lissa's shoulder. "Much better." Lissa turns her head to shade her gaze at the bird. "Now, now, love; you know what those eyes do to me." Lissa sighs in response, giving no spoken reply as she begins the trek alongside the others.

The second Chop Point yields a new type of material, a distinct white wood with an alien bluish tinge. As she studies the wood, Valerie ponders aloud, "I bet you could carve this into something beautiful." The party secures this second haul and departs from Yggdrasil. As they arrive in the city, the familiar cheery face of Lili is there to greet them. "Hey, Lili; how goes?"

"Hey, Valerie. I've been busy filling out reports with the Council." Cyrus and Lissa visibly wince in reply. Lili giggles, unfettered. "Speaking of papers, did you just get back from gathering wood?" Without waiting for the party's answer, she steps forward to get a better look at the materials procured from the Chop Points. "Ooh~ These are interesting…"

Cyrus says, "These are from the 5th Stratum; we kind of…" he chuckles, "forgot to visit the Chop Points there. The Chop Points of the 6th Stratum had some pretty interesting materials as well."

"You know, seeing these materials gives me a cool idea." Cyrus grants her an expectant expression, prompting her to follow up with a wink and a wide back-step; "I'm not gonna tell you just yet." She then runs off towards the Twilight Tavern, not even giving a parting word.

Gwenivere lifts from Lissa's shoulder and returns to her human form. "That one is certainly filled with energy." She looks to the others; "Shall we go?" Stepping into the Twilight Tavern, Gwenivere can see that Lili is already sitting at a table sipping tea. She approaches Mirina first. "I trust there is a quest available?"

"Your trust is well placed." She chuckles before pointing to Lili. "The little one showed up in a good mood; what did you guys do?" Everyone in the party shrugs. "Oh well. You can get the details from her."

As the Seekers draw near, Lili shoots them another of her warm smiles. "Thanks for taking my request, guys! So my grand idea is to…" She quickly looks around the tavern; satisfied with what she has found, she follows, "to give Solor a present!" A blush forms on her face as fond memories of her adventures with her companion return to the front of her mind. "She's so good to me, it's the least I can do."

Valerie asks, "What sort of gift did you have in mind?"

"I need wood for it, which is where you guys come in." Cyrus turns over one unit of the Lunar Wood the party just procured. Lili's eyes sparkle at the sight. "This is perfect!" She reaches out to grab hold of the offering, only to stop herself short of touching the material. "Are you sure I can have this?" Cyrus nods to her, pushing the item forward. "Thank you so much. This is perfect for carving a statue; I may not look it, but I'm quite the whittler."

Gwenivere smiles at the reveal. "I'm impressed. What do you plan to make for her?"

"I kinda need help with that too; what kind of statue would Solor even like?" Cyrus immediately suggests a little ducky, seemingly without needing to consider the options. "Simple, yet adorable; and great for bath time!" She rushes over to hug Cyrus, giggling as she says, "You guys are the best. I'm gonna go get to work, so I'll see you later; I left your reward with Mirina." She then charges out of the tavern with her carving material in tow.

As the party steps over to the counter, another chuckle escapes Mirina. "Seems like you finished the request for everyone's favorite Necromancer. I didn't think Lili was into carving statues; kinda figured she'd be into collecting stuffed animals." Her mind lingers on the thought for a moment, pondering when Lili originally grew into this hobby. "I wonder what she'll make; if it were me, I'd want a ducky." Cyrus and Valerie share a high five without looking at each other. "Uh…OK then; here's your reward." She places a box containing two bottles of Laudanum and Unihorn onto the counter. "So, what's next?"

Cyrus says, "Today's been quite busy, so I think we'll take a bit of a respite before coming back here after nightfall." He bids the proprietress farewell before departing with his party. Returning to Jenetta's Inn, the party disperses to attend to their own individual affairs. Walking past the room used by the Nomad Guild, Cyrus catches sight of Fae playing a session of Labyrinths & Drakes with the three Nomads; Amy serves as the Dungeonmaster. ' _This should be interesting._ ' He remains as an afar observer, not announcing his presence as he watches the session progress. Fae demonstrates nervousness for her first engagement of combat. The party of four faces a unit of bandits; ' _Standard fare for newcomers, but this is Amy we're talking about…_ '

Having chosen the Alchemist as her class, Fae picks up the dice used for combat. "I, uh, I pull a flask of Alchemist Fire from my belt and toss it at the bad guys!" ' _OK, so I just need to roll a 7…_ ' The dice hit the table after a committed throw, landing on a total of 8. Fae breathes a sigh of relief at this, for her roll was a successful one. Amy then describes in detail how one of the bandits is set ablaze by the attack, throwing his comrades into frantic disarray; they suffer roll penalties in turn, which the Nomads cheer for. ' _…Aunt Amy is having a lot of fun with this…that sounded like it really hurt, too._ '

Two hours pass before the hour strikes 6PM, at which point Amy announces that the session is concluded. Evelyn and Stacy breathe loud sighs of relief now that they are free from the harrowing stealth sequences they were put through; Melissa, in contrast, seems quite disappointed that the session is over. Cyrus chuckles to himself. ' _Not bad for her first foray._ ' He departs from the inn to sit upon the bench in Jenetta's backyard. Evelyn joins him soon after, taking a seat at his side. "You looked like you were having fun, Lyn."

"You're joking, right? Amy is a killer DM; I was at the edge of my seat for two hours." She heaves an exasperated sigh before giving a light shove. "You're all at the 28th floor now, right?" Cyrus nods to her, though he knows the gesture was unnecessary. "What sort of entity do you expect to await the Seekers at the apex? I can't imagine anything like Primevil showing up again." Cyrus exhales a loud and exaggerate sigh, leaning far back on the bench; Evelyn chuckles at this. "What has you so flustered?"

"That Stratum sucked, Lyn; I hate the Claret Hollows." He groans as he returns to a more natural position. "Whatever is at the top of Iorys' Yggdrasil, I'm expecting it to be far simpler. How goes your progress?"

"We just hit the 27th floor; I am not fond of the Cerberus." She accentuates the claim with a frown. "He is not a good boy." Cyrus snickers at this, causing Evelyn to blush. "This is no laughing matter." Cyrus rises from his seat, prompting Evelyn to look up at him. "Do you have somewhere to be?"

"I was gonna head to the Twilight Tavern; care to join me?" She blushes at the offer, which only deepens as Cyrus offers a hand to help her rise to her feet. She takes hold, prompting him to pull her up. "I never did treat you to dinner."

"…you cooked for me, Cyrus."

"That's not the same thing."

"Yeah, true, but I'd say it's better. Who doesn't like having someone cook just for them?"

Under his breath, Cyrus mutters, "I'd prefer Ha-chan refrain from cooking for me…" When Evelyn asks him to repeat what he said, he replies, "Oh it's nothing; just the ramblings of an old man." The two make way for the Twilight Tavern, where they share a steak dinner in peace. There are other patrons present at this hour, but few are loudly enjoying their time. After taking a long sip of his carbonated beverage, Cyrus sighs in contentment. "This is nice; we should do this more often, Lyn."

"You don't have to entertain this little crush, Cyrus."

He chuckles at the notion. "You misunderstand me; I don't engage in these sorts of activities unwillingly." Mirina approaches the table, a serious expression upon her countenance. "Greetings, Matron, how goe- is something amiss?" She hands him a letter.

"This request came in specifically for your Guild."

Cyrus opens the letter, allowing both Mirina and Evelyn to see its contents. The message is simple: "I have a request for the Seekers Guild. I'll be waiting on the northeastern edge of the 12th floor, so won't you come and see me?" He turns the letter over to find that the sender is not listed. Evelyn asks, "You're not going to meet with this client, are you?"

Placing the letter away, Cyrus replies, "I will, yes. Something tells me this is urgent." Evelyn rises from her seat, motioning to place her half of the bill onto the table. Cyrus raises his hand to this before placing full payment onto the table in her place. "Come now," he begins with a chuckle, "I said I'd treat you."

She rolls her eyes at this but smiles all the same. "You know, we should do this again." She steps over and places a kiss on his cheek. "Be careful out there, Cyrus."

He nods to her before bidding both Evelyn and Mirina farewell. Still garbed in his Fencer attire, Cyrus departs from the city, making way for the Geomagnetic Pole. Before activating the still unknown mechanism, he checks to confirm the Ariadne Thread on his person. Assured, he warps to the Fetid Necropolis. He makes way for the designated meeting place, where the familiar figure of Solor stands waiting. "So you're the client. It's been awhile, Solor."

"Hey, Cyrus; thanks for meeting me out here."

"…are you alright? That was…awfully cordial."

She lets out a huff at this, folding her arms in kind. "You say that as if I'm always rude." She shrugs. "Anyway, listen up." Cyrus snickers at this, his point seemingly having proven itself. Electing to not comment on this, Solor focuses on the reason she called him here. She pulls out her own map and steps closer. "Thanks to you guys we took care of the Stank Lord, but something's been bothering me. It's…about the Ring of Undying."

"Did we claim the correct ring? Or…" his face scrunches in distress as a horrid thought occurs to him. "Did the Undead King have a fake?"

She shakes her head to both claims. "Nah, nothing that infuriating; that ring was the real deal, no doubt about it. The problem is that the ring is supposed to give its wielder a huge mana boost."

"Now that I think about it, I didn't feel anything when I picked it up."

"Neither did Lili; the ring was all tapped out." Her troubled expression deepens as she says, "Lili believes the Stank Lord might have used the ring to revive another monster, one that is absurdly powerful."

Cyrus closes his eyes to think of what sort of creature could drain a ring possessed of as much power as the Ring of Undying. "Were this Erdboden, I'd wager the ring was used to revive a Necro Dragon."

"You should play the lottery." Cyrus raises a finger to this, but Solor continues, "I looked into things and found that a monster of that strength does exist here in the Fetid Necropolis." She pinches the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes and heaving a long sigh. "It's actually a Zombie Dragon." She shakes her head to look at Cyrus properly. "Look, we might all wind up killed, but how about we work together? Lili and I can't handle this one on our own; do you guys have our backs again?"

"Solor, how long have you known me?" She remains silent at the question. "A Coelistis takes care of his own. Be it against a country or a god, I will rise to your defense."

"You're insane; you know that, right?" He smirks at her, causing the woman to click her tongue. "Don't give me that." She points ahead to a passage in a wall. "I opened up a path, but it'll be a long trek; we should head back to Iorys to prepare. Well, that, and I'm pretty sure that you and I won't be enough to beat this thing." Cyrus chuckles as he pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread. "Look, you're good, but even I'd be asking for too much if I had you solo that thing."

The pair returns to the city to assemble a proper party. Cyrus swaps from his Fencer setup to his Masurao gear, carrying both his Inabakyo as well as the Soboro that Gwenivere recently forged for him. The remaining members of the Seekers consist of Amy, Valerie, Fae, and Hayato. As the group pushes beyond the passage opened by Solor, they are greeted with a cavern; faded flooring where toxic marshes will litter the landscape come sunrise can be seen strewn about. Valerie shakes her head at the sight. "This looks tedious." She pulls a Ward Chime from the party's belongings and gives it a few shakes. "That should do it. It's past 7PM so the toxic marshes should be gone, too; let's get to it."

A brief trek finds the party in an encounter with two Zombie Mutts and a Soultaker; Fae points to the sentient wheel holding the back line and says, "Um…that's not the Soultaker; that's a new enemy…"

Cyrus blinks twice before realizing that Fae is correct. "Oh, joy." Noticing that this new creature has a singular eye that is observing the party, an idea comes to mind. ' _Hm…it sounds too obvious, but it's worth a shot._ ' He glances back to Fae; "Throw a Dark Bomb at that new enemy; I'll cover you." She pulls the bomb from her belt, smiling at Cyrus all the while. ' _Why does that disturb me?_ ' Fae's bomb fails to blind the Doom Wheel, even with Black Mist for support. ' _Oh well; we can try again._ ' Glancing back at Solor, he says, "Solor, please give us a Wilting Miasma."

She taps the bottom of her scythe on the ground, causing the area to be blanketed in a thick mist. "You're dead set on a Conditional Drop, aren't ya?"

"Amy, we're taking out the dogs." Amy says nothing, instead cracking her knuckles. An audible click is the only indication Cyrus gives of himself taking any action; one of the Zombie Mutts ceases all movement before splitting in two. Another audible click sounds through the air, signaling that Cyrus has sheathed his katana. Amy, in turn, delivers a single strike with Thunder Fist, vaporizing her target. "Just one target remains." As the party is bestowed with the effects of Hail Prayer, the Doom Wheel releases some sort of smoke that, despite being easy to see through, conceals its presence. "Lord Hayato, we need Focus Prayer."

Drawing the card from his stock, Hayato converts the spiritual draw into an arrow. "Leave it to me." While Hayato takes aim to support his allies, Amy coats the battlefield in another Black Mist. Fae takes the chance to throw another Dark Bomb, this time successfully blinding the target. Solor twirls her scythe and points it at the Doom Wheel to summon an orange mist around it. "That's different."

Cyrus takes a single step forward, left hand clutching onto the sheath of the Soboro. "We're done here." He sinks into a drawing stance as his sight is focused on the remaining enemy. Another audible click rings through the still air, followed by the sound of a blade slicing cleanly through the air in turn. The main body of the Doom Wheel falls to the ground, motionless, with only its eye suspended in the air. Cyrus catches it as it falls, taking care to avoid damaging it. "I figured that was a Conditional Drop." He stores this with the party's belongings as he says, "OK, now we can get moving."

The trek through this portion of the 12th floor consists of three hours of uneventful walking. The party ascends the staircase waiting at the end of this cavern, arriving at an unexplored area of the 13th floor. Looking around, Valerie says, "I can sense the presence of a powerful foe; it feels like it's permeating this entire region." Straining her eyes in the darkness, she can see a massive figure towering in the distance. "Is…by the gods…"

Up ahead is a large dragon, one whose scales have long since rotted and fallen away, leaving flesh of a sickly pale coloration in their place. Beneath this feeble bastion of flesh lies the creature's internal organs and skeletal structure, plenty of which are in full view. Its wings are but skeletal remains, with their purple membrane surprisingly well preserved. Hollow yellow eyes scan the area, falling on the Seekers. Its tongue, pale and blue, hangs limply from its open maw; its brain is exposed, pulsing as it extends from the back of its skull. The creature takes note of the Seekers and spews a thick black smoke from its maw to cover the region in darkness.

Fae reaches out for someone in the party to hold onto, quickly grabbing the familiar pantleg of Cyrus. "I don't like this…"

He picks up the child, placing her upon his back. "We'll be fine, Fae; this won't be like my Fencer role, so make sure you get your distance when battle starts, OK?" She nods to him, failing to realize that he shouldn't be able to see her. He makes no effort to correct this, for he can see just fine. In the distance to the south he can see Roaming Wraiths floating about. "Ah crap."

"What's the problem, Stabdaddy?"

"There are Roaming Wraiths up here."

Hayato adds, "I think the Ring of Undying is affecting this entire area, not just the Zombie Dragon. The spiritual energy given off by these FOEs is…stronger than usual."

"What does that mean, Prince?"

"They might immediately return to the mortal world if we defeat them in combat."

Amy winces at the notion. "Then we really have no choice but to evade them." The party moves forward, knowing that this final stretch of the trek will take some time. Even as the black smoke spewed from the Zombie Dragon begins to dissipate, the creature promptly spews it from its maw again to keep the party in the dark. ' _It sure isn't gonna make this easy._ '

As the hour strikes 2AM, the party advances through the strange doors of the Fetid Necropolis to meet the Zombie Dragon. Fae points at the creature, anger in her youthful gaze. Her voice is at once tired and full of vigor as she shouts, "You're a big bully!" The Zombie Dragon roars at the child, to which she replies with a cute growl in kind. "Uncle, let's beat it up!" She jumps from his back to ready her arsenal, hopping in place with a look of fierce determination upon her countenance. "Let's do this!" To drive her point home, she tosses a Numbing Bomb at the dragon; its effects do not take hold, but the area around the enemy is blanketed all the same.

' _She's gonna need some serious rest after this._ ' Amy approaches him, wearing a distressed countenance. "What troubles you, sister?"

"You can hear it too, right? The dragon's soul is crying out in agony." She glances back at the upcoming foe, which is flailing its head about as it spews more black smoke from its maw. Its roars, primal and laced with aggressive intent, do not reach Cyrus or Amy's ears as proper words; they are akin to the wails of an individual consumed with grief and pain, unable to voice its ever-present strife with conventional language. "It didn't ask for this…"

Cyrus looks to the dragon in turn, focusing to better hear the soulful cries that only Amy can presently discern. "I did find it strange that I couldn't understand this creature; the Necro Dragons of our world retain their sanity, at least to a degree." He looks to his sister-in-law again as he asks, "We can fall back if you wish to swap out." She shakes her head to this. "Are you certain?"

"I am. I'll help rid the creature of its suffering."

The burning look of determination in Amy's gaze would normally bring Cyrus a measure of peace, but now they fill him with trepidation. She fixes her stare on the Zombie Dragon, one that Cyrus recognizes all too well. "Amy, you needn't make use of your strength; we c-"

She cuts him off, shaking her head as she says, "I broke my creed in the war, Cyrus; I made a commitment that day – that I'd get this power under control and learn how to wield it." She turns to face him, her severe expression having now softened to convey empathy. "I used it to protect you back then; let me use it here to save this poor creature." They share a passing silence before Cyrus nods to her. "Thank you, Cyrus."

Cyrus looks to Solor and asks, "You can call upon Blessing, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You'll see shortly." He clutches at the Inabakyo at his waist, turning to face the Zombie Dragon. "Everyone, prepare for combat." The battle begins with everyone except Cyrus and Solor emitting a brief flash of white light. Glancing back, Cyrus can see that Hayato has dropped to one knee in prayer to call upon Hygeia's Bowl; as a result, the party's vision is restored, though the black smoke remains, leaving the Zombie Dragon with the assumption that it is free to accost its intruders through other means. It pays no heed to Hayato firing a yellow arrow into the air, which explodes to shower his allies in the effects of Bolt Prayer.

Fae tosses a bomb to trigger the effects of Smokeblight before rushing over to Valerie, who is focusing alongside Solor to don Miasma Armor. She pulls a bomb from her bag, handing it to Valerie. "We're gonna need this." Valerie accepts this with a nod, turning her attention to Cyrus and Amy. The former is currently wrenching his katana from the flesh of the Zombie Dragon, imbuing the effects of Armor Pierce in doing so. The latter has spread into a stance, meditating as her body is veiled in a red aura. Fae frowns at this sight. "I don't like Overexertion; it keeps hurting everyone."

The Zombie Dragon retaliates by spitting a large green glob from its maw. As it reaches the apex of its launch, the glob explodes, raining down a toxic substance upon all combatants. The entire party falls ill, recognizing this as some form of poison. The dragon, however, appears to be healing from this substance's presence; the wound caused by Cyrus' katana has already closed. Solor grits her teeth at this. "That's one Hell of a healing factor."

Valerie growls in turn, though she is more optimistic about the future flow of the battle. "We'll just have to take it out in one hit." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "What's the plan, Chief?"

"Amy is going to take care of this." Valerie's eyes widen with fear at the claim. "Yeah, I know; I have safety measures in place." He stands upon a rock and points to the Zombie Dragon with his sheathed katana. He boldly proclaims that, "It's over, dragon! I have the High Ground!"

Solor facepalms at this. "Are you dense?! There's no way that cou-" Her comment is promptly cut short by the sight of a red aura flashing over Cyrus, Amy, and Valerie; "You are fucking with me right now."

Cyrus smirks as he replies, "You underestimate my power."

She sighs at this before taking a knee and emitting a brief flash of white light from her body. Triggering a Union Skill on her own, she begins her prayer; ' _Oh merciful Gaia above, please grant this straying lamb the patience to not slap her friend into the next dimension._ ' This prayer is heard and answered as a warm light beams through the cracks in this chamber's ceiling.

Valerie tosses Amy a Bravant, which she drinks without delay. The Pugilist kneels to take the moment to pray as well, though her request is of a different make than Solor's, notably in how hers is spoken aloud. "Flames of Conquest, I call upon your master in a plea for power." Wounds begin to open on her body, which Fae rushes to treat. A ring of fire encircles around her as well, though they do not cause harm to either her or Fae. The ring condenses, quickly drawing in on Amy; she is engulfed in a rising spire of flame, which disperses as she rises to her feet. The Zombie Dragon swings its massive tail at her location, deeming that spectacle to be a pressing threat. Rather than dodge, Amy blocks the oncoming tail with her right forearm.

She then performs a flash step, reappearing close to the dragon's torso; her reflexes compel her to retaliate after having sustained injury. Though she restrains herself, the punch is enough to send the dragon skidding along the battlefield. The area is blanketed in a Black Mist, courtesy of Cyrus. Without needing to look back, Amy knows he and Valerie will take care of the others so that she may focus on the enemy ahead. She stands in silence, patiently waiting as Hayato's Dance Oracle triggers an electric explosion that fully encompasses the enemy's form. Valerie rushes in to toss a bomb of Sleep Gas, which successfully puts the Zombie Dragon into a deep slumber. She also preps the bottle of Formaldehyde provided by Solor before warping over to Cyrus, leaving the stage free for Amy.

As electricity begins to spark around the Pugilist, she discards her white robe; it hits the ground beside her, leaving a sizable crater. Cyrus and Valerie have brought everyone else in the party to huddle together in a condensed safe space. Solor asks, "What's about to happen?" She turns her attention back to Amy, who has taken a single step forward; as her foot meets the marshy ground of the Fetid Necropolis, a localized explosion triggers and a crater forms. ' _…The Hell?_ ' Amy then performs another flash step, this time reappearing directly in front of the sleeping dragon's head. ' _I don't think I like where this is going…_ '

Raising her fist, Amy exhales, turning the once yellow crackling sparks to a striking shade of crimson. Her voice is but a whisper as she gives a parting word to the dragon. "Find your peace in the beyond; you're free now." Her fist is brought down, slamming into the ground beside the dragon; the impact triggers a large explosion, enveloping both her and the target in a large dome sparking with crimson electricity. The shockwave immediately follows, sending a powerful force that rocks not only the chamber, but also the entire Stratum. The two Brouni of the party are held at the center of the huddled cluster, protected by their Earthlain comrades from the violent wind that threatens to sweep them away.

When the winds die down, Solor lifts her head to check for her comrades. Everyone huddled with her is safe and sound with no injuries to speak of. She looks to Amy's location, eyes widening as the sight of a crater spanning the bulk of the chamber graces her vision. From this crater emerges Amy, who calmly walks towards her allies as she carries the wing bones of the Zombie Dragon, as well as its spine. When she reaches the group, she expresses relief to see that they are all safe. Solor is at a loss for words, but eventually musters some sort of response. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"I…I'm usually too afraid to use this power; I've hurt so many people in the past…"

"Well tonight you saved someone near and dear to me, so thanks." Solor breathes a sigh of relief; "Maybe now she can live a normal life…" She looks amongst the Seekers, a feeling of contentment building in her chest. "Wish I could say that went how I planned, but you guys saved my ass with this one; thanks." She is notably avoiding eye contact with Cyrus as she says this, preferring to focus on Fae and Hayato. Cyrus makes an effort to step closer, disrespecting Solor's personal space as he tries to match his gaze to hers. She frowns at his efforts, shooting a telling glare as she ceases her attempts to avoid him. "Don't give me that; even I know when to be thankful."

He chuckles at her ire but offers an apology. "You're fun to mess with."

"You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days, Cyrus."

Fae, disinterested in Cyrus and Solor's interactions, is too lost in the moment as she jumps around cheering for Amy. "That was awesome, Aunt Amy!"

Amy can only chuckle at the child's sincere praise; she lifts Fae from the ground, holding her close as a smile forms on her face. "You're a sweet kid, Fae." The moment does not linger, for Amy is handed her robe by Cyrus. Donning it once more, she pulls up her cat-eared hood. "I'd say our quest is complete; let's head home."


	64. Breaking the Barriers

**Chapter 64: Breaking the Barriers**

As the sun rises on the 19th of Dormouse, Cyrus returns to the Twilight Tavern to report the completion of the request. Solor is here, having just finished telling Mirina the details of last night's events. Lili is here as well, much to Cyrus' surprise, and her presence seems to be a source of embarrassment for Solor if her attempts to hide her face are any indication. The Necromancer gives her usual cheery greeting, "Morning, Cyrus!"

"Morning, Lili; you're up early."

She giggles, though for reasons Cyrus is not certain. "I'm in a pretty good mood. Solor told me that a monster I've been worried about isn't a problem anymore." Cyrus looks to Solor, tilting his head inquisitively but not trying to give away too much information. Lili giggles at this in turn. "Solor slipped up and told me everything."

Cyrus abandons his façade immediately. "Ah, I see."

"I don't think Solor knows how to keep a secret."

He chuckles at this. "I think she's only bad at keeping secrets from you."

"Yeah, don't say that as if I'm not standing right in front of you or anything."

Lili asks, "Aren't you gonna thank him?"

"I already did!" She looks to Cyrus, her eyes conveying a silent plea for a vouch. "You heard me, right?"

Before Cyrus can give a reply, Lili says, "Yeah, I'm sure you did, but you can say it again. Come on, I believe in you!"

Solor looks to Lili, and then to Cyrus. Her gaze then turns to Mirina, who is busy cleaning a mug. The proprietress simply shakes her head, unwilling to get herself wrapped into this mess. Solor's gaze falls back to Cyrus as she sighs. "So I…left your reward with Mirina; see ya!" In a single motion, she hops up from her stool, triggers her Miasma Armor for a speed boost, and dashes out of the tavern. This takes a moment to process in Lili's head; she blinks twice before realizing that Solor is gone. She calls for her companion before chasing after her.

Setting the mug down, Mirina says, "Wow, Solor was in rare form; never thought I'd see that." She chuckles as she follows, "She's probably never let her guard down like that to anyone but Lili. It's probably weird for me to say this, but I hope you and the others continue to be good friends with them."

"I don't think you'll need to worry about that, Matron." He is handed the reward for this quest: 250,000en. "Good thing Fiona's not here…"

"I don't know how she's survived this long as a member of such a successful Guild." She shakes her head, putting the thought out of her mind. "Oh well. What's planned for today?"

"We'll tackle the 28th floor." He holds his chin in his hand, contemplating the party setup he should take to the 6th Stratum for today's exploration. "We might postpone the trek until after nightfall. Fae was up until 2AM last night helping us fight the Zombie Dragon; it wouldn't be right to push her."

Mirina looks to the side to get a look at who is entering the establishment. Cyrus' back is turned to the door, so he is unable to see at the moment; Mirina's visitors are other members of the Seekers; Fiona, Gwenivere, Fae, and Hayato are present, with Fae rushing over. A chuckle escapes the proprietress as she says, "I don't think you'll have to worry about her being tired."

Before he can ask for her meaning, Cyrus finds that something has just latched onto his back. "Uncle, let's go to the 28th floor today!"

"Aren't you tired?"

"Nope!"

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

She nods twice. "Uh huh. Aunt Jenetta made eggs, pancakes, and sausage links~"

'… _maybe I should have stayed a little longer…_ ' He heaves a sigh of defeat. "Very well. If everyone's ready to depart, we can get started immediately." The group confirms its preparations and soon sets out for the 28th floor. Arriving at Area 3 of the Empyreal Bridge, the Seekers elected to take blue warp located to the far left of the quartet of options at the northern edge of Area 2. Looking to Arken, he asks, "Will we be able to handle the distortions of Areas 4 and 5?"

"The distortions affect the denizens of the area, those who reside there for extended periods of time; we shall be fine."

Gwenivere asks, "And what of the creatures altered by these distortions?"

"They will be of a make foreign to you; I have not visited the Empyreal Bridge in a long time, so I cannot yield much information until I see them for myself as well."

Gwenivere recites two incantations to call upon the effects of Invisibility and Levitation. "I am not fond of having to needlessly adjust myself for mere flooring. The floor exists to help us on our way, not hinder us." She grabs hold of Fae's hand before leading the child along. "Let us be off."

Arken watches the two gain distance ahead of the group; turning to Cyrus, she comments, "The Arcane Overlord is a curious one."

"That she is."

As exploration begins, the party takes note of the space waste that now litters the ground of the Empyreal Bridge. The sludge is a sickly purple, more of an affront to the eyes than the party's initial viewing of it once led them to believe. After half an hour of floating, the group encounters the gelatinous FOE Arken warned them of previously. As Cyrus draws the map, Hayato takes note of something peculiar. "Uh…guys? That FOE disappears from the map when it comes into contact with that purple waste." True to his claim, the map loses its ability to track the FOE. What's more, the creature disappears from the party's sight as well, demonstrating that the toxic pools are not as shallow as the Seekers initially assumed. "That's problematic." The creature emerges from the toxic sludge, enraged by the mere sight of the Seekers. "Uh…we should run."

Gwenivere scoffs, none too pleased by the thought of fleeing from a creature of this make. "It would be more practical to conserve our strength…yes, I must agree with the Little Prince."

The FOE, referred to by the Monstrous Codex as the Prosperous Gel, proves to be a relentless pursuer, chasing down the Seekers from D7 all the way to C4; it only loses interest after the group uses a warp to teleport to a portion of the Area outside of the enemy's view. Fiona heaves a sigh as she takes a seat. "And I thought the Freed Savages were persistent…" Looking at Cyrus, she says, "Something tells me this floor is gonna be a lot like the previous two."

"Agreed. We might not need to explore much of it to find the way forward." He lowers the map for a moment to survey the landscape. There are few visible warps in Area 3, at least from what Cyrus can immediately discern. "What few warps exist in this Area seem to only serve the purpose of quickly traveling to various regions without needing to walk."

Arken says, "How fortuitous, then, that these warps can also be used to avoid the residents who have taken refuge here." This statement comes back to bite her several hours later, for now the group is making a mad dash for the eastern edge of the floor as three Prosperous Gels chase after them. She glances back to find a sadistic grin upon the countenances of their pursuers; ' _I do not approve of this._ ' Her focus shifts to Cyrus, who carries Fae upon his back as he runs; Gwenivere is perched upon his shoulder in her raven form. "Runic Gale, do you have a plan?!"

"Run faster!" A warp enters his view. "I found our exit!" The group lunges for the warp, barely avoiding the extending appendage of the Prosperous Gel. Fiona, Cyrus, and Arken take a moment to catch their breath, having been the only three running. When they catch their bearings, it becomes clear that they are in Area 4 of the Empyreal Bridge. "That was quick."

Arken's tired countenance gives way to concern as she looks around. "The distortion is even worse than I predicted…"

Cyrus rises to his feet and takes a moment to stretch. Looking around, he can see that the path to the north leads further into Area 4; to the south is a purple warp. This causes an eyebrow to arch. "That…might take us to the closed off area on the southeastern edge of Area 3." His suspicion proves to be true, granting the party access to the entrance side of the localized warp that will serve as a shortcut between the 28th and 29th floor; there is also a return warp located here. "That was fast. A little harrowing, but certainly swift." Looking to his comrades, he asks, "Are we good to continue?"

They all nod to him, so the trek continues. As the hour strikes 1PM, the party advances through a door in Area 4 that leads to a large expanse housing a Mounting Horror. Piles of the space waste from Area 3 are on this floor as well, soon revealing themselves to be hazardous to the clones produced by the Mounting Horror. The clones instantly disintegrate upon coming into contact with the substance, a sight that causes everyone's eyes to widen. With Gwenivere's use of Levitation, bypassing this room proves to be a simple task.

The next room serves host to another Mounting Horror and even more piles of waste. The Seekers assume this will make the task of evading the clones simpler, but the Mounting Horror that is supposedly controlling the clones is smarter than they give it credit for. As the hour strikes 2PM, the party is done with this room in turn. The third room houses two Mounting Horrors instead of one, causing everyone except Arken to groan in frustration. Gwenivere folds her arms, studying the area before advancing with her comrades. "Perhaps we should approach this as if we don't have access to Levitation…"

Cyrus says, "We'll need to uncover more of the area to chart a path." He takes a few steps forward, putting the FOEs on immediate alert. Their clones act in a frenzy, attempting to dash straight for him, but are promptly obliterated by the space waste. Cyrus draws in a few portions of the map before waving his allies over. "Alright, Lady Gwenivere, cast Levitation; I have a solution in mind." This plan involves luring the clones produced by both Horrors to destroy themselves at the same time, just as he had done moments before. This plan is not executed as intended, for the southern Mounting Horror has already learned from its mistake. ' _A clever little pest, aren't you?_ '

The party is backed up to the door leading out of this room. The Mounting Horror's clone flashes a devilish grin, fully convinced that it has its prey trapped and ripe for the picking. Its freakishly long fingers dance on the still air as they reach forward to pluck one of the group's number, its grin now having transformed into a wide toothy smile stretching from ear to ear. Fiona raises a finger to this. "You got me fucked up." Cyrus then taps the door, causing it to open so that the party might slip through. As the others retreat into the room beyond, he tosses his sword at the clone to halt its advance, allowing the door to shut in its face. With a snap of the fingers, the sword returns to its wielder, and is promptly returned to its scabbard. "Let's not do that again."

This next room houses a Mine Point and a purple warp. Cyrus and Fiona work together to harvest two chunks of uneven rock composed of many different metals clumped together. Cyrus says, "Looks like a chunk of a meteorite. I wonder what Syrik's artisans will make with this." He stores the meteorite samples with the party's belongings before leading his group to the purple warp. Waiting for them on the other side is another purple warp and a yellow warp. "This second purple warp leads to the southeastern edge of the 28th floor."

Fae says, "That means the yellow one is the right answer." On the other side of this yellow warp is the entry side of another localized warp, which the group activates. Two doors present themselves as options; taking the one to the west leads the group to a large expanse filled with a lone treasure chest located at the back. Channeling Cyrus' vernacular, Fae says, "Ah crap, not again." Arken tilts her head at this, to which Fae follows, "Last time we opened a chest like this, we got ambushed by two really powerful electric squirrels."

Hayato draws his bow, nocking two arrows as he takes aim at the chest. "I'm ready this time; if we're opening the treasure chest, just leave it to me." Cyrus walks over and opens the chest, quickly jumping to the side to give Hayato a clear shot. To everyone's surprise, nothing happens.

Gwenivere steps over to pull out the chest's contents; she holds in her grip a staff that appears to be designed for close-quarters-combat. "I detect no mana from this weapon." She gives it a few test swings, noting its weight distribution. "This strikes me as well-suited to crushing limbs…" She turns it over to Cyrus, who stores it with the party's belongings. "I'm sure we'll find a use for it down the line; let us continue."

The room lying beyond the door to the north leads to a narrow stretch of land housing two Prosperous Gels. The party avoids detection by sticking to the bottom edge of the land structure. Their reward is a green warp located in E1. This warp takes them to uncharted territory on the 27th floor, though they are unable to explore much, for the only option is to take the purple warp directly ahead. This takes them back to Area 1, the 26th floor, where the distortions are nowhere near as severe as the later Areas. A purple warp rests on the east, a yellow warp to the south. The group takes the yellow warp after deducing that the purple warp is a trap.

Now, at the southwestern edge of the 26th floor, the group is placed on a small floating isle where a purple warp lies to the north and a blue warp to the east. The purple warps being traps has become a trend at this point, leaving the blue warp as the only answer. This warp takes the group to a long narrow isle housing seven warps of various colors. Cyrus lets out a sharp whistle at the sight. "That's not what I was expecting." He looks to the group as he asks, "How's everyone holding up?"

Fae says, "I'm fine…but these colors are making my head hurt. Which one do we take?"

Pulling out the map, Cyrus looks around as he says, "An excellent question, my little angel; let's find out." He spends some time eliminating options, assisted by Fiona. "The second, fifth, sixth, and seventh options are all duds. Our two blue options seem to lead to the same island, while the third warp, our only viable yellow option, is a wild card." Taking either blue warp does indeed lead to the same island; from here, the party takes a western warp that ultimately loops back to the narrow island of choices. The yellow warp is the only option that remains; the Seekers now stand upon an isle housing a third Chop Point for Area 1, as well as a purple warp. "No choice but to take this one…"

The path remains linear until the party returns to the 28th floor. Now standing on an unfamiliar island spanning the distance of C1 and beyond, the Seekers can choose between a green warp and a yellow warp. Fiona says, "You know, I've kind of forgotten what our goal was. We were exploring the 29th floor earlier, weren't we?"

The question reminds Cyrus of how much time has passed. "It's almost 7PM."

Fae says, "It sure doesn't feel like it; I'm more confused than tired."

Hayato takes a moment to stretch and yawn; "It helps that we haven't fought anything yet."

Arken breaks her silence to say, "That yellow warp up ahead is ill-advised; it will drop us off at the Mine Point the Runic Gale and Endless Tempest harvested from hours prior." Everyone shivers at this. "Indeed, we would be back at the start." The green warp returns the group to the 29th floor, immediately transitioning to a purple warp that sends them from D1 to D7. Here, a shortcut awaits, which is promptly unlocked. The second Mine Point of the floor is found at D5 but is not procured from. Seeing Cyrus pull a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket, Arken asks, "We're departing from Yggdrasil?"

Fiona snickers at Arken's choice of words. "So you're leaving with us by default, eh?" Arken's face turns red at the claim; she is unable to give a reply as the thread unravels. The first stop is the Twilight Tavern, where the Seekers order dinner. As Mirina arrives with their order of Therian-style lasagna, Fiona thinks to present a question. "Have any requests come in yet?"

"Just one. This request comes from a miner who wants to make a special pickaxe. He needs something strong enough to destroy the crystals in the 4th Stratum and would like you to gather the materials needed to make it."

The party agrees to the terms of the quest, though a thought enters Cyrus' mind. ' _Wait…a pickaxe even stronger than the one Syrik has been selling en masse? What sort of crystals is the client trying to break?_ ' He momentarily puts this out of mind to ask, "What materials does the client need?"

She looks down at the clipboard, only to facepalm with her free hand; "You'll have to ask him for the specifics; I didn't write them down…"

She points the group to a Therian Miner sitting at a table not too far from the group. Cyrus elects to go alone so that the others may eat their meal in peace. Taking a seat, he offers a greeting. "Well met, friend; the Matron tells me you have a request?"

"Matron? Don't know who you're talkin' about bu-" he realizes who Cyrus is., and that he's using a nickname for Mirina. "Oh! Right, right, right; you're here to help with my little demo project. I didn't think Mirina would get the Seekers on the job…" He starts sweating, suddenly forgetting what he was instructed to say. ' _Don't blow it, man…_ ' In a poor effort to stay on task, he stumbles on his own words; "Right, so I need some materials; I hear you guys are in the 6th Stratum now, yeah?" Cyrus nods to this. "I need one of each type of ore that can be gathered up there. With materials like those, I can destroy any type of crystal on the…4th Stratum; yeah, that's the one."

' _ **Cyrus, I can't tell if this guy is losing his nerves or if he's just a poor actor.**_ '

' _It could be a combination of the two…_ '

"So that's my request…but I gotta ask: Are you really exploring that place?"

"We are, yes. Is something amiss?"

"No, not at all; it's just, and I don't mean to offend, but you look like any other regular guy, just like me. Sure, you got that strange left eye goin' for ya, but I've met Celestrians with rainbow-colored eyes before; this is pretty tame in comparison."

"The real thing is no match for the legend. I founded the Seekers, but I really am just like anyone else. Exploring is…it's just what I do."

The miner has a laugh at this; "You're alright, kid! Good luck out there; I look forward to when ya come back."

The two shake hands before Cyrus returns to dining with his group. Once the meal is consumed, he assembles a party composed of Lissa, Clarisse, Gwenivere, Valerie, and himself and heads to the remaining Mine Point of the 29th floor. Here, more meteorites are gathered, along with the other two materials they seek. Cyrus holds up a slick black slate sporting white grill patterns. Gwenivere approaches him, noting that "This item is emanating mana at present, but I didn't detect it until now…"

Cyrus posits that, "It might only do so when exposed to light…"

Clarisse calls for the group, holding up a solidified translucent blue drop for her comrades to look upon. "This drop is filled with all sorts of metal components and minerals. The problem is that I only managed to find one of these, so we're gonna have to come back tomorrow if we want to sell one to Syrik."

Valerie shrugs at the notion. "So it goes. Let's head back." She is the first to approach the client upon returning to the Twilight Tavern. She places the requested materials onto the table, which elicit a surprised response from the client. "Yeah, these are pretty good cuts."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I doubted you guys…" He heaves a sigh, shaking his head before looking to the Seekers. He glances around to make sure someone isn't eavesdropping, lowering his voice for good measure. "Listen…you should know I'm not the one who made the request. I am gonna be making the pickaxe, that part wasn't a lie, but I'm not gonna be the one using it."

Cyrus folds his arms as he asks, "It's for Mirina, isn't it?" The miner winces, causing Cyrus to sigh in turn. "I'm not surprised."

"When she asked me to make this pickaxe, she had a real strange look on her face. I couldn't say no to Mirina of all people, but I'm afraid something bad's gonna happen if I just hand it over to her."

Gwenivere says, "You needn't concern yourself on the matter; we shan't let any misfortune befall her. Carry out your role as intended; we shall do the same."

Her confident boast instills the miner with confidence; he cheerfully thanks the party for their assistance before departing from the Twilight Tavern. With the job done, the group approaches the counter to make their report to Mirina. "That was fast; I guess you guys had a supply route already secured?" The others glance at Cyrus, who maintains a poker face. Mirina chuckles at this. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Let me get your reward."

Cyrus rests his forearm on the counter, donning a more serious expression as he says, "Hold a moment, Matron; there is…a matter I'd like to discuss."

Mirina is in the process of rising from behind the counter, so she fails to see Cyrus' expression. She jokingly asks, "Are you proposing, Cyrus?" When her eyes meet his, she realizes that his statement left no room for japes. "Is…something the matter?" He leaves her in silence to contemplate the matter, to which she gasps upon coming to an unsettling realization. "You know, don't you."

"We do, yes; are you willing to talk?"

"I…" She falls into a long silence in response to the request. A sigh eventually breaks it; "I'm sorry I lied to you; I didn't want to drag you all into my drama."

Gwenivere asks, "You've been bothered by the fate of the Guild that was attacked on the 19th floor, correct?" Mirina nods. "You feel responsible, yes?"

"I do. None of the parties involved blame me for what happened, but it just doesn't sit well with me. It's my job to decide who is and who isn't qualified to take on a request. I sent them out there because I thought they were ready." Her expression becomes pained as the memory of the injured explorers returns to mind. "I thought they could handle it…sometimes I forget how easy it is to make that call when you're not the one putting your life on the line."

Clarisse shakes her head to this. "You were an explorer once too, Mirina. No one understands the dangers of the field better than a veteran. I've known you long enough to know that you'd never send someone into Yggdrasil without properly gauging if they're up to snuff."

Valerie nods to this. "Unexpected things happen, Matron. Remember when we got that quest to plant a seed in the Fetid Necropolis? You had no way of knowing that seed would turn into a dangerous monster." She takes a moment to close her eyes, carefully considering her next choice of words. "Had we died that night, it would not have been your fault. It would have just been how the dice fell when the Goddess of Fortune made her roll."

"I want to make things right, Valerie; I can't sit idly by without confirming this for myself."

Cyrus says, "Then make a request; we'll help." Mirina adopts a stunned countenance at the suggestion, as if to say she hadn't even considered the idea. "You need only ask, Mirina."

"…thanks, Seekers. I'm glad I could talk to you about this." She places a box containing three bottles of Formaldehyde onto the counter. "A job is a job; I don't go back on giving rewards. I have another request, this time from me."

In unison, the party says, "Name it."

"On the 19th floor there exists a powerful monster that has been attacking explorers. My intel reports that it appears to be a snake woman from Kinmeria."

Lissa arches an eyebrow at this. "You're not talking about a Lamia, are you?"

"I am. No one's been able to slay her, and she's too dangerous to leave alive. May I see your map of the 19th floor for a moment?" Cyrus hands her the map without delay; she marks a familiar location as she says, "I want you to meet me here tomorrow; we'll need the pickaxe I commissioned to break the crystals barring our path." As Cyrus motions to speak, Mirina can see his expression take on concerned features; she presses a finger to his lips to stop the question she's certain he is about to ask. "I won't do anything reckless, but I want to accompany you all on this." She removes her finger from his lips, taking a step back as her smile returns. "You all should get some rest; you've had a busy day…and you'll need your strength for tomorrow."


	65. The Lamia

Author's Notes: _As we close out 2018, I would like to thank you all for your continued support. I look forward to creating more content in the coming year._

* * *

 **Chapter 65: The Lamia**

Making way for the 4th Stratum, the Seekers find Mirina standing beside the crystals they will need to destroy to proceed. Gwenivere takes hold of the pickaxe, striding over to Mirina to be the first to greet the proprietress. "I hope we didn't keep you waiting long."

"Not at all." When the remaining members of the party approach, she asks, "Will you let me join this fight?" The party just walks past her, with Valerie and Lissa wordlessly placing a hand to either shoulder as they direct her to join the exploration. "Thanks, everyone." As the party steps into the new area beyond the crystals, their senses are assaulted by a malicious presence. "That's our Lamia, no doubt. We better be extra careful going forward." A short trek within these new, cramped corridors reveals that, in order to progress, the party will have to choose between one-way shortcuts. Lissa and Cyrus' faces go blank at this realization, prompting Mirina to ask, "Are you two…OK?"

Lissa looks to her husband, sighing as she asks, "Which way should we try first?" She looks to the north as she says, "I think we're gonna have to travel north and loop back around to reach the Boss, so going south now will only give us, at best, the exit-end of a shortcut."

He nods to this. "It'll loop back around to our entrance, too, so let's get that out of the way." While charting this southern region beyond the one-way shortcut, the party happens upon a warp crystal. "That's not gonna be fun." Approaching the crystal from the only side available – the top – does nothing. "I sure hope approaching this from the bottom side is part of the shortcut and not a trap." Returning to the start, the northern one-way passage is next; it leads to another pair of choices. Looking to the southern one-way passage, Cyrus says, "Judging from the dimensions of the map, this southern passage will lead to a boxed cavern. I suspect it'll hold a warp crystal as well."

Gwenivere says, "Indeed, and should this prove false, the passage will eventually feed back to the entrance so we can start over." The group steps through this passage, finding the very warp crystal Cyrus posited would be present. Though it can be approached from the right and bottom sides, approaching from the bottom does nothing. "Hm, right it is." The group is whisked away to D2; looking to the north, Gwenivere quickly notes the presence of another warp crystal. "…Is that one going to warp us?"

The group takes a single step forward, given that this is the only path available to them. The next crystal does indeed whisk them away. Their destination is a small, cramped cavern where the linked crystal allows them to approach from its right side. There are no one-way passages here, leaving this as the only way forward. This warp, in turn, leads to three choices; the party can approach the crystal in A1 from the top, approach the one in B2 from the same direction, or slip through a one-way passage located in the hall separating them. The group opts for the passage.

The malice on the wind is growing heavier by this point, suggesting that the group is on the right path. Mirina asks, "Any idea what our battle plan will be?"

Cyrus says, "I plan to be the main damage dealer for this fight. Lady Gwenivere will swap out for Lord Hayato, as I'm going to need Hail Prayer…assuming this Lamia is actually weak to Ice." Looking to Valerie, he says, "Mirror Moon will be my focus; for the attacks that slip through my parries, we'll capitalize on the Lamia's own damage with Curse Recoil, Grave, and Counter Guard. A plan like this might be a little too involved, admittedly."

Looking to her firearm, Lissa says, "I might need to buy a new cannon if we're actually going to rely on Counter Guard."

"Cyrus, where do these ideas even come from?"

"You're asking the wrong man, Matron." The group approaches a crystal located at the bottom edge of B2, which warps them to the top side of the crystal in D2. "We're making good progress." He senses enemies up ahead, prompting him to hold up a hand to stop the party's advance. With a lowered voice, he delegates everyone's orders. Mirina summons three Wraiths in advance; Valerie's Miasma Armor triggers on its own. "Valerie, we have a preemptive strike, so use Wilting Miasma; Gwen, remain at the fore and use Amplifier – we'll use Enchant on the next round to cover any weaknesses." Making eye contact with Lissa, he says, "You'll use Dragon Roar on me; I'm using Mirror Moon when the enemies make their effort to attack." He looks to Diana and Mirina next; "Start with Banefire Breath; Matron, you hang back and read the situation."

He moves in first alongside Gwenivere; the enemy formation consists of three foes – Two Tantrum Turkeys flanking a giant purple worm. Gwenivere takes a step back at the sight, clenching her staff. "Good thing Fae is not with us; she'd faint away." She channels the effects of Amplifier to herself, Cyrus, and Diana, who has slipped up to the front row. "You seek a power boost, mother dear?"

"You deserve the strongest mother-in-law."

"Hm, a strong argument."

Valerie coats the enemy group in a Wilting Miasma, then readies her scythe. "Any ailment you want in particular, Chief?"

"Hit that worm with Paralysis." She coats her blade with yellow energy. "I'll back you up with Black Mist."

"Wait, won't that screw with Mirror Moon?"

"There's a chance it might, but it might not; Paralysis succeeding and Mirror Moon failing is the preferred outcome since that might be this thing's Conditional Drop." He receives the effects of Dragon Roar, which also catches the enemies' attention. As they turn around, a torrent of flames is unleashed from Diana's coffin; these flames immediately take the lives of the Turkeys. He rushes to isolate himself from the party, readying the sheath of his katana as he gives a firm battle cry, "Your foe is here, beast!"

Valerie flies in to deliver a swing with her scythe, successfully paralyzing the purple worm. The creature is left immobile, prompting Cyrus to ease his stance. While Gwenivere chants a spell to imbue everyone's weapons, Diana commands a Wraith to merge with the worm. Once fused with the target's soul, the wraith self-destructs from within, weakening the creature and dulling its movements. Seeing her opportunity to strike, Gwenivere channels aether into her staff, granting it a prismatic glow. She charges in, as silent as her husband usually is in combat, and delivers a powerful backswing. The worm is sent crashing through a wall, where its form falls limp and motionless, marking the end of the battle.

Hefting her staff onto her shoulder, Gwenivere strikes a pose. "Not a bad sequence." She helps her comrades procure combat spoils. The Dread Worm's materials include a non-toxic tail needle and skin shed in desperation while it was paralyzed. "Hm, so the creature assumed that molting would rid it of its paralysis; not a terrible assumption, if I'm honest." She turns to hand this off to Lissa as she openly wonders, "I wonder what it can be used to create."

Beyond the path is the entryway of the proper shortcut within this cavern complex. The party makes use of the crystal at the right edge of F2, approaching from the bottom to be transported to the crystal at the top edge of D2. Cyrus expresses surprise at this. "So two crystals can be connected to the same destination…" The party moves away from their drop-off point, only to motion back into it, which triggers the warp crystal to drop them off at the crystal in B2. "Fascinating." He takes a moment to study the map, lightly slapping the side of his head. "Aw damn it, I screwed up!"

Mirina asks, "What's the problem?"

"I was so excited to test out that warp just now that I didn't consider that we had two options." He motions for everyone to gather around, allowing him to direct their attention at the crystal resting at the center of D2. "We only get to approach that from the right side in one instance; I think that warp was our ticket to the Boss." They loop back around to this juncture by the time the hour strikes 1PM; Cyrus' suspicion is put to the test, resulting in a successful warp from the right side of this crystal to one located at D1. A door lies to the south. Opening this door, Cyrus steps though first.

Sitting at the center of the giant cavern beyond this door is a creature with the upper body of a humanoid woman and the lower body of a snake. Unlike what the denizens of Erdboden were expecting, the creature ahead is gigantic, towering above them, and boasting a size comparable to the Crystal Dragon. Braided purple hair adorns her head, which is topped with a white headdress. Her skin is blue, sporting deep blue tattoos. She appears to be communicating with snakes protruding from openings on the lower body of this creature. Mirina steps forward, eyeing the creature up and down. "So that's the Lamia…I guess we're heading back to assemble the battling party?"

Cyrus nods to this, pulling out a spool of Ariadne Thread to warp the group out of Yggdrasil. Before activating it, he says, "I might need to make a few additional changes."

Valerie nods to this as she says, "This thing isn't weak to any ailments from what I can tell. She resists a lot of stuff, too." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "What do you suppose the Conditional Drop is gonna be?"

"Something related to her hair or that headdress, probably. If we have to take you out of the party, we'll need a Formaldehyde." He turns his attention back to the Lamia, who patiently awaits the group's approach. "Even with Wilting Miasma, I'm not terribly confident in the Head Binders or Chain Blast." As she steps into Jenetta's Inn with her comrades, she motions to approach Hayato. The two exchange a high-five as she says, "I'm tagging out for you, Steppin' Prince; make me proud."

Hopping down from his chair, Hayato heads upstairs to gather his belongings. He quickly returns to the main floor, his bow slung around his arm. "Alright, ready to go." He looks over the intended party, seeing the chosen members. "You're acting as a Masurao for this one, Cyrus?" The leader gives a silent nod; Hayato looks to Gwenivere as he follows, "Looks like you'll get to evaluate him, Lady Gwenivere."

A haughty chuckle sounds from Gwenivere in reply. "I'm looking forward to it, little prince." She pivots on her heel, gesturing a flourish of her hands as a smirk forms on her lips. "Let us be off!" Her advance is halted by the sudden growling of her stomach. Mirina recoils at the sound, likening it to the howl of a ravenous beast. Gwenivere takes a moment to clear her throat, not losing her stride even as her cheeks turn red. "Now that I think better on the matter, we should partake in a pre-battle lunch." Four hours pass before the group departs from the inn. The orange hue of the sky offers a pleasant view of the city as they walk towards the Geomagnetic Pole on the outskirts of Iorys. ' _That was scrumptious…_ ' She looks to Cyrus as she asks, "How has our plan changed, love?"

"I hope you're ready for a workout, my liege, for you're going to practice your back swing in earnest."

She scoffs. "That will hardly be strenuous; I hope you're looking forward to my improvement."

Lissa snickers at her comrade's boasting, not even bothering to look in her direction as she says, "I'm starting to wish we had the funds to purchase and forge Fillia's Zhezl; I wanna see just how much damage our Gwenivere can push out of Clever Strike."

"Buttering me up will not get you any further than you are, Elizabeth, though I do appreciate the praise." Cyrus clears his throat upon hearing this, though he says nothing. When Gwenivere glances at him, he turns away. "Have you something to say, love?"

Promptly changing the subject, he looks to Diana and Mirina as he says, "We'll have to maintain the Wraith supply; Master Annora, you'll run Banefire Breath and Ice Bomb." Diana raises an eyebrow to this. "I know, I know; we kind of stopped using Ice Bomb during the 4th or 5th Stratum, but it'll be useful here. You're faster than Gwenivere, too, so we can trigger Common Magic without relying on Dance Oracle."

Mirina's face lights up at this; she nods as she says, "Yeah, that'll work."

Diana asks, "Shall I focus on keeping Wraith Cry in effect as well?"

"No need. Something curious about this world is that, once a debilitative effect is established, you can extend its effects even if you use a weaker version of the skill that applied it."

Mirina asks, "Do you have proof of that?"

"I did precisely this during my battle with the Storm Emperor back in Etria. I struck the dragon with one of my best mixtures for Dilution, but extended its effects with a less potent solution during my free moments. My damage output never dropped despite this."

"Huh. That's interesting…so Diana can establish Wraith Cry while I maintain its upkeep?" Cyrus nods to her. "Then I can take the heat off of her by taking the healing role. I'll handle the use of Life Exchange and summon more Wraiths should our supply begin to dwindle."

Hayato sorts the party's inventory as he absently says, "I'm expecting a lot of Ailments and Binds from our foe; I hope Exorcism Prayer can keep us covered." He looks to the others as he says, "I'll have Hygeia's Bowl in case something goes horribly wrong." The party spends the short trek to the Lamia's lair discussing potential prat falls of their intended strategy. Of these prat falls, the greatest threat is Cyrus' use of Mirror Moon, whose consistency has yet to be properly tested. Stepping into the Lamia's chamber, the creature's features soon enter Hayato's view. He takes a wide step back at the sight. "Yikes!" He takes a moment to breathe, recovering from his brief fright. "You weren't kidding when you said she was big…" He draws his bow, nocking a purple arrow as he pulls on the bowstring. He lets the arrow fly into the air, and as it explodes to shower its veiling properties onto the Seekers, he asks, "Is everyone ready?"

Cyrus holds up a hand to his allies. "Mom, Matron; summon your Wraiths." He leaves his orders on that note as he continues ahead. He looks up to the Lamia, who looks down to him in turn. "A number of innocent people have been accosted by you and your cohort; might we reach an accord? I'd rather not draw my blade when it is not needed."

The creature is silent for a long moment, leading Cyrus down the road of assuming his offer fell on deaf ears. Her voice soon fills the cavern, reaching the ears of the entire party as proper words, much to the surprise of those without the Runic Eye. "Aren't you amusing. What do you have to offer me for this exchange?"

"We are open for negotiations. What do you desire?"

The Lamia hisses, though in a manner that presents her as coy and playful. Her eyes boast a mischievous glint, tinged with a mite bit of sinister intent. "Do you truly think you can satisfy me, human?" Cyrus tilts his head in an inquisitive manner, which elicits a brief fit of laughter. "Come to me, human; I shall explain what I mean when you are mine." A dark smile traces on her lips, causing Hayato to take another step back. "You need not worry, little Shaman; I take excellent care of my toys…"

Cyrus raises his finger in protest; as he opens his mouth to politely decline, he is pulled backwards by both Lissa and Gwenivere. The former points her cannon at the creature, glaring with enough intensity to burn through steel. Gwenivere's features sport a frown in turn. "Our husband will be going nowhere with you."

The Lamia tilts her head at the notion of Cyrus being shared. "You'll happily keep him open to other women, but I am a problem? Have you something against my kind, human?"

"Oh perish the thought. If Cyrus wants to date Viola or that cute Scalekin interning as a treasurer, I'd have no qualms; I know they'll treat him the way he deserves to be treated." She points her staff at the creature, matching her glare to Lissa's as she follows, "You, however, will bring naught but ruin upon my beloved. Your crimes against innocent people were offensive enough, but you dare to try and deceive Cyrus?"

As Gwenivere continues to scold the Lamia, Cyrus heaves a sigh and turns to Diana and Mirina. "This is what I have to put up with." His attention is brought back as the Lamia grows furious with Gwenivere's rant. The creature lets out a shrill cry that shakes the walls of the cavern before turning her attention to Gwenivere. Cyrus steps in front of his liege, left hand clutched to the scabbard of the Soboro. "I show no mercy to those who threaten my liege; fall back and we can continue our negotiations." The creature shrieks in defiance, causing Cyrus to shake his head. "It can never be simple." He draws his katana and tosses it at the upper body of the Lamia. The creature motions her left arm in front of her chest to intercept the blade, but before she can pull it from her forearm, Cyrus warps to it and pulls the weapon out in her place, triggering the effects of Armor Pierce as he does so. "We don't have to do this."

"That woman's disrespect will not go unpunished." Cyrus sighs at this. "What a waste." Cyrus motions to jump away but is slapped to the ground by the Lamia. The flames of Banefire Breath engulf her just before she directs a glare at Cyrus and the rest of the party, turning both him and Mirina to stone as the latter rushes to the former. Gwenivere chants a spell to place the effects of Amplifier onto the front line. A look of surprise forms on the Lamia's countenance as Hayato triggers a Union Skill to call upon Hygeia's Bowl to cure Cyrus and Mirina of the petrifaction that plagues them; he follows up by firing an icy blue arrow into the air. As it rains down upon his allies, their weapons adopt a frigid aura; the Lamia shades her eyes into a leer at the sight. ' _I'll have to deal with that one first._ '

Lissa rushes over to Cyrus and Mirina, raising her shield in anticipation of the Lamia's next attack. Gwenivere raises her staff to conjure a Magic Shield while Diana orders a Wraith to channel its energy towards lowering the target's defenses. Though the Wraith disappears by way of exploding within the Lamia, it immediately returns to the battlefield. The Lamia spins on the base of her lower body to lash out with her tail. Cyrus, Lissa, and Diana are all struck, though the former two are safe behind Lissa's shield. Gwenivere is caught in the attack's range but dodges by performing a back flip over the Lamia's tail. Lissa recovers from the tail whip, granting her a chance to fire a frigid round from her cannon.

Having assessed the situation, Cyrus picks himself up and charges into the fray. He draws his katana, ready to extend the effects of Armor Pierce; his vision begins to deteriorate, with the Lamia ahead becoming quite blurry. He glances back to find that Diana is prepping her coffin to use Banefire Breath again, though he can barely tell this is happening. "Lord Hayato, we need a Focus Prayer!" A white arrow is fired into the air immediately after his order is given, soon showering the party in a warm light that restores their visual clarity. "Lissa, ready Mana Guard; Gwen, you're with me! Matron, use Life Exchange!" He hurls his katana at the upper body of the Lamia again, this time embedding the blade into her left shoulder. She instinctively reaches for the weapon, only for Cyrus to warp to it, placing his right hand on the hilt of his weapon and using his left to grab the Lamia's other arm. "A petrifying glare? Not bad."

"Flattery will get you nowhere at the moment; save it for later." A sudden pain surges through her face as Gwenivere's frigid hammer slams into her cheek. Cyrus pulls his katana from the creature's arm before tossing it away from the present location. He wraps his arm around Gwenivere's waist and warps to the katana with her in tow as Banefire Breath consumes the enemy's form again. As the flames disperse, green and sickly purple flames can be seen forming at the Lamia's maw before they are spewed forth. The party is engulfed, though not before Lissa stabs her shield into the ground to bestow Mana Guard's protection unto her allies. Hayato is the only one among the group to suddenly fall to one knee; his complexion takes on a pale visage. Even the act of Mirina's delayed Life Exchange does nothing to cure this Ailment, despite his burn wounds disappearing instantly. ' _Got him._ '

While the party rushes to assess Hayato's condition, the Lamia takes the moment to call upon two large snakes, which both emerge from openings on her lower body. Cyrus glances back to see this, clicking his tongue in frustration as a response. "Mirina, instead of extending Wraith Cry, administer a Therica B to Lord Hayato." He triggers a Union Skill between himself and Gwenivere as he follows, "We're going in." The two rush in ahead at a speed no other combatant can follow. Gwenivere is the first to strike the Lamia, delivering an upward swing of her frigid hammerhead to the chin of the enemy; as a follow-up, Cyrus delivers a diagonal slash that spans the length of the creature's lower body.

Before his companions can land, Hayato picks himself off the ground to force his body into a brief two-step, triggering the effects of Dance Oracle. Cyrus hits the ground, promptly transitioning into a counter stance. Diana imbues one of the available Wraiths with ice before sending it into the enemy line to explode. The attack is bolstered by Dance Oracle, dealing more damage to the Lamia and her summoned allies; Diana chants a few words, causing the Wraith she just sacrificed to return to her side. Gwenivere, having retreated from her combination attack with Cyrus by transforming into a raven, returns to her human form above the Lamia, intent on letting gravity empower her next attack. Her hammer strikes the Lamia's head, bring the creature's upper body crashing to the ground below.

Unfortunately, the Lamia does not lose her stride, shooting another glare of her Evil Eye at the party. No one is petrified by this endeavor, though their vision deteriorates once again. As the Seekers fall back, the Lamia chants a curse in her native tongue and at a low volume. ' _I'll see that they are ruined._ '

Hearing a small portion of the enemy's chant, Cyrus readies his counter stance once more. "Lissa, use Counter Guard again." He looks back as he follows, "We're continuing the assault; Mirina, standby!" Mirina expresses silent confusion at the order but readies her guard all the same. Once Hayato restores the party's vision, the Seekers charge into the fray. Diana's Ice Bomb explodes first, striking the enemy group; the Lamia smirks at this as her form is overtaken by an ebon and crimson aura. She rushes in to strike the entire party, landing a solid hit on each member except Cyrus, who parries the oncoming tail strike with the scabbard of his katana. His eyes harden into a focus as his hand draws near the hilt of his weapon. An audible click sounds from the katana, followed shortly by the sound of a blade cutting through flesh.

One of the limbs of the Lamia's lower body is cleanly severed, forcing the creature to recoil as a shriek is loosed from her throat; this moment of vulnerability is exploited by Gwenivere, who delivers another swing of her hammer. Cyrus gives his weapon a single downward swing to rid its blade of the enemy's blood, returning the weapon to its scabbard afterwards. One of the snakes, despite its pain, slithers over to Hayato and wraps itself around his legs. "Let go!" The snake coils around him even tighter. "Rude!" Another audible click rings through the cavern, signaling Cyrus' use of Petal Scatter. The snake binding Hayato is cut to pieces, freeing the prince and allowing him to fire another purple arrow into the sky to rain down the effects of Exorcism Prayer. "I appreciate it, Cyrus."

The party is surrounded by the Lamia, who closes in with her lower body to crush them all in her grip. Diana calls for one of her Wraiths to trigger a frigid explosion at point blank range, which forces the Lamia to loosen her grip. Gwenivere slips from this grasp to deliver another Clever Strike to the creature's face, sending her flying a fair distance away from the Seekers. She falls back to her allies to re-establish the effects of Amplifier. "I wasn't as on top of the buff duration as I should have been."

After giving a Wraith an order to use Wraith Cry, Diana folds her arms as she says, "You're not alone in that regard, Gwenivere." The effects of Hail Prayer rain down upon the party, catching her attention; she looks to see that Cyrus is charging at the Lamia to use Armor Pierce again; the Lamia looks to be on the verge of collapse, suggesting that her wounds are starting to take hold. "We're almost done here." A flash of light shines from her form, marking the use of a Union Skill. She looks to see that the source is Mirina, who makes use of Chain Blast to strike the enemy. The aetherial chains summoned by the Union Skill secure themselves around the head and lower body of the enemy, though the Lamia breaks free of her arm shackles with a swift and forceful gesture. "Not bad."

The Lamia summons more snakes from her body, calling forth four to aid her. Her efforts are for naught, for Diana and Gwenivere deliver one final volley bolstered by Dance Oracle. The world goes dark as she delivers a dying cry, signaling for the snakes she summoned to retreat into the crevices of the cavern beyond. Mirina steps forward to address any injuries the party may have suffered. Satisfied with their current status, she smiles. "Great work." She takes a moment to stretch, letting out a satisfied groan in turn. "That was exhilarating – I can't remember the last time I risked my life like that!" Cyrus and Lissa motion to raise a finger to question this, but quickly lower their hands upon seeing Gwenivere and Hayato shake their heads in silent protest. To their relief, Mirina's jubilant expression swiftly returns to her usual business-focused demeanor. "I really appreciate everything you've done. You've been such a huge help to me."

Cyrus chuckles at this. "You need not thank us, Matron. We look after our own if you'll recall."

"Oh I haven't forgotten, but I'd still like to express my gratitude for the Seekers giving it their all in every job. Of course, I appreciate all of the explorers who lend me their aid." She gives a self-depreciating chuckle, closing her eyes as she says, "Guess I'm not as level-headed and mature as I like to think."

Cyrus arches an eyebrow at this. "Did you not hear a word Gwenivere said to the Lam-" a chop to the head breaks his concentration. "Milady, please; I'm trying to give Mirina context."

"Kindly refrain from using me as a negative example." Mirina has a laugh at their expense. Her smile returns, gracing the party with its usual brilliance. Gwenivere clears her throat. "It should go without saying that the Seekers will continue to grow in turn."

"I don't doubt it. Given your track record? I'm certain you'll all reach immeasurable heights. I'm honestly looking forward to seeing what you can do." She looks to the Lamia's corpse, letting out a sigh of relief. "We were in control for that fight, though our pace was disrupted at the beginning and towards the end." She shrugs. "We can take a breather now. I'll head back first; don't forget to drop by for your reward." She takes a step back to make use of a spool of Ariadne Thread, which warps her out of the labyrinth.

The party feels a third surge of energy, which provokes Hayato to say, "Guess that's another cap boost. How many are left?"

"That was the last one," Cyrus says with a shrug. "Only the 6th Stratum Boss remains now. Let's obtain our combat spoils and be on our way." Of the combat spoils, there are two. One is a mostly intact Bind Snake that Cyrus slayed with Petal Scatter; the other is one of the Lamia's hair tresses. "I guess the Condition really was Head Bind." After storing these spoils with the party's belongings, the Seekers depart.


	66. Guided by Instinct

**Chapter 66: Guided by Instinct**

The party makes way for the Twilight Tavern after resting at Jenetta's Inn until night falls. They approach the counter, where Mirina awaits them with her usual smile. "Welcome back, everyone."

Cyrus says, "It's good to be back, Matron; we're here to make our report."

She chuckles at this. "Thanks for being so formal." She falls silent as she disappears beneath the counter to locate the Guild's reward. When she returns to view, she is holding a large bag filled with ental. Resting it on the counter, she says, "I'm glad you all found your way to Iorys; I hope we get to work together again."

Lissa takes hold of the bag, letting out a surprised sound of exertion as its weight becomes apparent. "How much is in here?"

"350,000." Lissa's eyes go wide and look to the bag before returning to meet Mirina's gaze. "I guess it's a good thing Fiona isn't here, eh? Where do you plan to go from here?"

Cyrus says, "I believe a respite is in order."

"I'm surprised you know what that is." Before Cyrus can offer a retort, everyone in his party voices agreement with Mirina's sentiment. He sighs, shakes his head, and then departs from the bar. "Oh come on; I was joking!"

When the rest of the party catches up to Cyrus, he is seen walking to the marketplace. They make an effort to pursue him, reaching their leader as he reaches Syrik's dedicated area within the marketplace. Here, Cyrus turns over the materials procured from the Lamia, eliciting an elated expression from the young merchant. "I bet I could use this snake to make a fancy mask." As he studies the Snakebraid Snarl, he takes note of the intricate tangles comprising the material. "This would make for one heck of a bow."

"Yeah, I'd wager you could build for both accuracy and precision. I'd like to get this as a souvenir for Lady Annabelle, but I'll probably make it a parting gift for Clarisse instead…" Syrik bursts into laughter, bringing a look of confusion to Cyrus' countenance. "Is something amiss?"

"This will probably become the strongest bow in all of Arcania and you're gonna give it to someone as a gift?"

"Um…yes?" Syrik laughs again.

"Never change, Cyrus." He wipes a tear from his eye, heaving a content sigh. "Man I needed that. I'll let you know when my artisans come up with a design." He looks to the side to see the other members of the Seekers watching from afar. Glancing at Cyrus he asks, "So what's goin' on with them?" Cyrus responds with a shrug. Syrik shrugs in turn before the two conclude their exchange with a handshake. "Oh well. Pleasure doing business, Cyrus."

He nods to this and departs from the marketplace with the rest of his Guild mates. As they step into the inn, Clarisse and Fiona can be seen standing in waiting. The pair approaches, with Fiona being the first to speak. "I hate to ask as soon as you get back, but mind coming with us to the 1st Stratum for a bit?" He tilts his head inquisitively but says nothing to yield a proper response. "It's for training; I need you to stay in your Masurao gear for this, too." He shrugs, consenting to her request with a soft smile. "Good. Let's get going."

As the trio departs, Cyrus notes that Balto is not accompanying them. "Is Balto feeling well, Clarisse?"

"Yeah, he's fine; he's playing with Fae and Karol right now."

"Ah, say no more." The trio makes way for the 4th floor of Yggdrasil, where their ultimate destination is the open body of water on the eastern edge of the floor. Unchanged from their exploration of this area close to two months prior, the water stretching beyond the horizon is still as it glitters beneath the light of the hollow moon. Dozens of flat rocks are scattered about, though the act of skipping stones does not interest Cyrus at present. He looks to his companions as he asks, "What brings us all the way out here?"

Fiona provides an answer. "I request your assistance in advancing my training."

"As…a Chain Duelist?" She nods to him, her expression sporting a serious visage. "Fiona, I've never acted as a chaser before."

"You understand the fundamentals, and you've helped guide my blade in the past." She folds her arms as she continues, "There are times when I can't keep pace with everyone's assault, so I lose my chance at follow-ups." She points at him underhandedly; "When you're out there evading the enemy, your moves rarely look calculated. It's…as if you move by way of a primal instinct."

Adding to this, Clarisse says, "The way you wield a katana is pretty similar."

He takes a moment to think on this, recalling various instances that might give these two reason to stake such claims. His mind eventually turns to a battle waged in the Untamed Garden, as well as the battle waged against the Lamia earlier today. "Fiona." She grants him her attention, saying nothing as she gives him an expectant look. "When you lose your chances to follow-up, is it because of hesitation or slow reaction time?" She is hesitant to reply, a telling response all its own. He raises an eyebrow to this.

She eventually swallows her pride and yields a proper answer. "It's hesitation."

He nods to her. "Very well." He adopts a drawing stance, causing Fiona and Clarisse to take a step back. "Draw your weapons. Reese, you'll provide Fiona with chances to strike."

"Wait, you seriously expect me to shoot at you?" Her eyes glance to the side as the sound of Fiona drawing her sword rings through the air. "Fi-Fi, are you serious?"

"This is part of the promise he made to me; we can't talk him out of it."

Clarisse heaves a loud sigh of exasperation, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow as she takes aim at Cyrus. "Co? Please don't get hit." She looses her arrow, prepping another as this shot flies to her target. Fiona waits until just before the arrow makes contact with Cyrus to make her move, only to stop as the flat end of his katana deflects it. Clarisse clicks her tongue at this. "Didn't expect a direct attack to hit him anyway." Cyrus cracks a smirk directed at Clarisse, which causes her to scoff in turn. "Oh yeah?" She crouches low, her bowstring already pulled back for the next shot; her eyes are hardened into a fierce focus as a smirk forms on her lips. "Alright Co; let's dance."

She disappears from sight as the shadow of a looming cloud passes over her location. The sound of an arrow speeding through the air is all Cyrus and Fiona have to know of her announced actions. Fiona catches notice of the arrow before Cyrus and motions to advance once more in turn. Her legs cease all movement again upon seeing Cyrus deflect the arrow. He sheathes his katana, still firmly rooted in his starting position. "Fiona." She snaps out of her moment of pause as his voice reaches her ears. "The opening doesn't have to be wide or even significant; what matters is how quickly you can react before the target recovers."

' _And he expects me to move faster than he can recover?_ ' Her expression carries the words of her thoughts to Cyrus, who gives a single nod as if to say he heard that unspoken question; "Are you taking the piss?"

"Prove me right."

Her eye twitches at these words as she suddenly finds herself filling with rage. "You say some annoying crap every now and again." He smirks at her in reply. ' _Cheeky little bastard._ ' She takes a deep breath, exhaling as she assumes a stance that will facilitate the act of charging at Cyrus. ' _Even if he blocks my follow-up, that could give Clarisse another opening; I could try again immediately after that._ ' Another arrow flies towards Cyrus from the shadows, which he motions to deflect just as he did before. Ignoring her fears of failure, Fiona performs a flash step, reappearing on her target's left flank, blade prepped for a blazing thrust. Cyrus commits to deflecting Clarisse's arrow with his katana, in turn motioning to intercept Fiona's sword with the sheath he still holds in his left hand.

Rather than commit to an attack that will force Fiona to retreat, Cyrus pivots on his heel so that he might scan the area for Clarisse. Even as his Runic Eye scours the area for aether signatures, he cannot find her. ' _That's…peculiar._ ' He senses a disturbance on the wind, prompting his arm to motion to deflect another arrow; he must use his sheath to block Fiona's advance once more, doing so with an upward swing. Fiona's blade barely meets with the sheath of his katana before she pulls back for a second follow-up, causing Cyrus to overcommit to the motion. Despite the mild dissatisfaction of his countenance, he thinks to himself, ' _We can fix this._ '

Seeing her opponent quickly swing his sheath back down, Fiona exhales a breath; she commits to her second thrust. ' _Gonna trust Clarisse with this one._ ' Cyrus' sheath meets her blade, pushing it at a downward angle. Fiona adjusts her wrist to pull the weapon back and upwards without losing ground, paying close attention to how Cyrus' right hand is prepping a downward slash from on high. This course quickly changes to the katana's blade flipping to deflect an arrow aimed at his back. In this moment, time seems to slow for the world around Fiona, her pupils shrinking in turn. She effortlessly rears back and thrusts her blade at Cyrus' throat, stopping just short of stabbing into it. Her pupils return to their usual size as the world around her reverts to its original flow. She pulls her blade back, returning it to its scabbard immediately after. ' _That was weird…_ '

Clarisse emerges from a nearby bush, wiping sweat from her brow as she exhales a sigh of relief. "Good shit, Fi-Fi." She secures her bow to her back as she walks over to Cyrus. After confirming that he is uninjured, she starts poking his forehead. "You're an annoying little target; you know that, right?"

Sheathing his katana, he replies, "I very well can't make it easy for you." She pouts at this, which he ignores in favor of addressing Fiona. "That last opening; it felt as if time slowed for everyone but you, right?" She nods to him, adopting a surprised countenance at his accurate guess. "Remember that feeling, love, for it'll become second nature with deliberate practice." He walks closer to the water's edge; picking up one of the many flat rocks resting here, he looks back to Fiona. "How about that match to decide the champion?"

She cracks her knuckles, striding forward with confidence to pick up a rock of her own. "We stand tied at 37 skips; that changes tonight, my dear Cyrus." Fiona is the first to take her shot, delivering a deft throw that allows her rock to skip along the surface seamlessly. It loses momentum at its 43rd skip, crashing into the drink on the 45th. Fiona hums cheerily to herself. "A new record~"

Cyrus preps his stance, wielding the flat rock in his left hand. He takes a moment to glance at it before thinking better on the matter. He switches over to his right hand instead. "Better to use my biological arm." He makes his throw, sporting dexterity and finesse comparable to Fiona. Despite maintaining excellent momentum, the rock hits the water's surface at an awkward angle on the 44th skip, causing it to plunge into the water's depths. "Oh…well that's unfortunate." He chuckles as he extends a hand to Fiona. "The victory is yours, love; congrats."

She gives his hand a firm shake, a wide smile plastered on her face. "A battle well fought. Next we'll aim for breaking the record of this continent." She looks to Clarisse, whose expression boasts curiosity. "You wish to try your hand at the Earthlain art, Clarisse?"

"Sure, let's do this." She picks up a small boulder with one arm, causing Cyrus and Fiona's eyes to widen. "This should do the trick." She steps forward, taking her place at the center of her comrades. She rears back her arm and gives the boulder a toss. A shrill shriek pierces the air before the projectile immediately plunges beneath the surface with an explosive splash. Clarisse seems dejected by this result. "It didn't go anywhere…" The sound of bubbling water accosts her ears, directing her gaze to where the boulder she threw just landed. The water's surface bubbles violently before another explosion of water erupts from beneath. "Oh shit."

The head of a large crustacean can barely be seen poking out from the geyser; Clarisse reaches for her bow, only to stop in place as Cyrus charges ahead of both her and Fiona. He stabs his katana into the creature, eliciting a loud gurgle from its craw. As Clarisse's eyes glance to gauge Fiona's actions, she can see that her comrade's pupils have shrunk again, accentuating her focused expression. As Fiona readies a charge, the minor shift of her head reveals a yellow trail of light gleaming from her eyes. Clarisse is given no time to further process this, for Fiona performs a flash step and disappears from view.

She reappears just above Cyrus' position, stabbing her electrified blade into the throat of the crustacean. It gurgles for but a moment before falling still and silent. In a single deft execution, she pulls her blade from the fallen foe, flips from its corpse, and lands on the grass, weapon sheathed. Her expression softens as her features return to normal. Cyrus sheathes his katana in turn. "Not bad at all, Fiona." As he gazes upon the fallen enemy, a thought occurs to him. "I suppose we can take care of the cleanup sweep a bit early."

Clarisse cocks her head to the side; "What sweep?"

"Upon reaching the final floor of Yggdrasil, the Seekers always dedicate time to filling out any missing entries in the Monstrous Codex and Item Compendium. We're only on the 29th floor right now, but I think we can get started early."

Fiona replies, "I don't mind getting started tonight, honestly."

Pulling a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket, Cyrus says, "Let's see where the others stand." Deliberations are swift, allowing the Seekers to return to the Tutelary Forest within 15 minutes. Cyrus stands at the helm, still garbed in his Masurao gear. Accompanying him are Valerie, Fae, Gwenivere, and Hayato. Their hunting ground is the 3rd floor, where they currently sit in a safe open space to layout their plans. Turning through the pages of the Monstrous Codex, Cyrus takes notes on what the Guild's records are missing. "Our first target will be the Colossal Roper; we never went back for its Conditional Drop."

Flipping through the Item Compendium, Valerie's expression gradually descends into progressively worse states. "Why in the Seven Hells is this book structured like this?" She flips the book over to show her allies its contents. She slaps her hand against a page, calling attention to how the cataloguing methods become inconsistent. "Do you see this? It starts off well, listing materials relatively close to how monsters are listed in the codex." She then gives the book a light shake in her fury, futilely hoping this action would cause the book to sort itself out; this does not come to pass. "The rare yields of the Untamed Garden aren't listed together; Rutile and Lunar Wood are right next to each other, but the Clock Flower is all the way up here."

Fae offers a comment. "I think it's weird that Rutile and Lunar Wood are listed with materials from the 6th Stratum…"

"See?! Our little munchkin gets it!" She closes the Item Compendium in an aggressive manner before returning it to the Guild's essentials. "That was unbelievably stupid."

Cyrus closes the Monstrous Codex in turn; "We'll head to the area beyond the sealed door after we secure the Colossal Roper's remaining materials." He looks to Gwenivere as he follows, "Milady informed me that the exploration team managed to avoid any sort of confrontation while it was exploring the region." He steps into a bush, his presence quickly fading. He pokes his head back out after a moment passes, sporting a small frown as he says, "We're moving out." After two hours, as the hour strikes 9PM, the sight of a trio of Ropers holding the rear line for a pair of Forest Turtles enters view. "Target acquired."

Fae acts first, preemptively tossing a Toxic Bomb to debilitate the Forest Turtles. Hayato tosses a red card ahead as Cyrus and Valerie leap from the bushes, remotely activating the card's effects as their feet hit the ground. Weapons ablaze, the two end the lives of the Forest Turtles in a single strike; the trio of Ropers, startled, quickly motions to merge. Their vines and limbs entangle one another in an off-putting display before their once green bark coloration turns plum purple. The battlefield is coated in a Black Mist, courtesy of Cyrus; Valerie, armed with a numbing agent in the form of a bomb crafted by Fae, uses the Black Mist as cover to approach the unsuspecting Colossal Roper. Once she is in position, she primes the bomb and gains distance.

As the bomb explodes, the Colossal Roper's vines fall limp, eliciting a sound of confusion. It is not given long to stew in this confusion, for Cyrus is quickly above it with his katana at the ready. A single downward slash cleaves the creature in twain, leaving the party free to procure the spoils of combat. The disabled vines, having been left intact, retain much of their strength and durability. Valerie chuckles at this. "Not bad. Let's move on." She watches as Cyrus and Gwenivere disappear into the bushes, Fae joins them, grabbing hold to one hand of each as their presences fade in turn.

The trek to the Secret Area of the 3rd floor is a long one, taking close to three hours; luckily for the Seekers, an enemy they have not seen before presents itself almost immediately upon their arrival. A creature similar in appearance to the Bladed Phasmid of the Untamed Garden stands between a pair of Forest Turtles. Armed with a short leaf blade and a large shield made of a single giant leaf, the creature stands firm, ready to defend its allies at any opportunity. Cyrus steps forward ahead of his comrades. "Lord Hayato; Blaze Prayer. Everyone else standby." He disappears from view as Hayato converts his card for Blaze Prayer into an arrow.

Valerie twirls her scythe before pointing it at the enemy, which causes a Wilting Miasma to blanket their area. Hayato fires his arrow at the ground; it explodes, briefly surrounding him and his comrades in a veil of fire that imbues their weapons with its properties. Cyrus returns to view, katana mid-swing and aimed at the Shielded Phasmid. He strikes the creature's shield arm, striking a point beneath the surface that causes the creature to hang its head and hunch over as it falls into slumber. Despite no longer being conscious, the creature maintains hold on both its sword and shield. Cyrus turns his focus to one of the Forest Turtles, which stands ready to defend its own protector. It is promptly cut down, as is the remaining member of the pair by Valerie in turn. Gwenivere moves to the front line and delivers a powerful backswing of her fire-imbued staff directly to the face of the Shielded Phasmid.

The creature loses its life in an instant, yielding its intact shield to the victors. The search for additional enemies does not take long, for a trio of canines approaches the party's location. Two members of this trio are the standard Wild Dogs the party has grown accustomed to seeing; the creature in the middle is a dog of comparable size, but with green fur instead of red, and red eyes instead of blue. Fae preemptively tosses a Dark Bomb at the group, successfully blinding the two Wild Dogs but not the Camo Dog. Fae says, "P-Princess, try using Fatal Reap." Valerie looks back to the child, an eyebrow arched. "This dog is really hyper, so I don't think we can put it to sleep…b- but I noticed that hyperactive monsters don't handle shocks to the system all that well…"

"Good point." She promptly blankets the area in a Black Mist before disappearing within it. Her voice is still clear as she says, "I'll run with your plan, Munchkin."

Cyrus looks to Hayato as he says, "We need Hail Prayer." Hayato carries out his task with haste, imbuing everyone's weapons with frost before Cyrus and Gwenivere motion into action. Fae tosses another Dark Bomb, this time successfully blinding the Camo Dog. The two Wild Dogs are swiftly dispatched by Cyrus and Gwenivere; the Camo Dog, relying more on its senses in the sudden absence of its vision, shuffles backwards to avoid the worst of Valerie's oncoming scythe swing. Instead of losing its entire head, it merely loses a fang. It replies in kind with a triumphant roar, one that seems to sap the party of its stamina.

Gwenivere scoffs at this. ' _A feeble attempt._ ' Sensing her rage, the rest of the party relents from charging into the fray in favor of allowing the Elemancer to finish off the enemy. For reasons Fae is unable to explain, she is compelled to quickly toss in a bomb to trigger the effects of Smokeblight. She does so, further debilitating the Camo Dog just before Gwenivere's hammerhead makes contact and obliterates the target. A dark chuckle escapes the Witch as she rests her staff on her shoulder. "I am now beginning to wonder what heights of power my swings could reach if I had that staff made from the Bewitching Bud." She looks to Cyrus; "Should we head back? It has grown dreadfully late."

"I'd like to push to the Jagged Reach; there's one enemy up there whose Conditional Drop we never obtained." The party returns to the 7th floor, starting at the staircase that ascends to the 8th floor. Nearby is the once sealed door that leads to this floor's Secret Area. As the party waits for the enemy to enter view, Cyrus explains that "Our target is the Fire Squirrel." Pointing ahead, he calls attention to a trio of enemies advancing from afar; this trio consists of a Jumping Caracal, Volt Squirrel, and Fire Squirrel. "When Black Mist goes out, Fae, Valerie, and I will use numbing agents in the form of bombs to fully disable it. Should that fail, Gwenivere will use Chain Blast."

Fae asks, "It doesn't start burning our Ariadne Threads until it's the last one standing, right?"

He affirms the notion with a nod. "Correct. We'll take this a bit slow to take them all out in a single bout." He takes hold of the Inabakyo, assuming his drawing stance as the enemy draws near. "Let's begin." As Valerie blankets the battlefield in a Wilting Miasma, the enemy trio starts coughing uncontrollably; "Lord Hayato, we're running Bolt Prayer; Gwen, take out the Volt Squirrel." She gives a wordless nod as her staff is imbued with electricity. Her swing ends the life of the Volt Squirrel by way of blunt trauma with an overcharge of electricity. Distracted by this, the Fire Squirrel is unable to avoid Cyrus striking from its blind spot; he slashes a pressure point on its back, causing the creature to fall asleep.

Gwenivere slays the Jumping Caracal while Cyrus, Fae, and Valerie execute their plan to disable the Fire Squirrel. Rather than deliver the finishing blow to this enemy as well, she remains on the sideline as Cyrus charges in. After Fae tosses a bomb to trigger the effects of Smokeblight, she and Hayato partake in performing a samba; their performance impresses the spirits watching from atop a cliff in the distance, and thus they are rewarded with an electric explosion that detonates on the Fire Squirrel's location. As the creature's eyes begin to take in the world, they widen in terror upon seeing its fallen comrades. There is no time to process the horror of this situation, for Cyrus is already upon it, motioning into a drawing slash.

His blade violently crackles with sparks of electricity as it cuts through the air to rend its target in twain; the Fire Squirrel falls silent, its tiny body hitting the cold ground with a barely audible thud. For their efforts, the party secures the creature's tail, which remained undamaged from the encounter. With their haul secure, the party departs from Yggdrasil to retire for the evening.


	67. The Harvest of Yggdrasil

**Chapter 67: The Harvest of Yggdrasil**

The following morning, Cyrus and Gwenivere rise earlier than their comrades so that they might sell off the newly acquired materials. They find Syrik at his usual stall, looking quite relaxed as he waits for the morning rush of customers. He holds up a hand to greet the pair, a smile forming on his lips when the large bag of materials Cyrus carries enters his view. "Ooh, what did you guys bring me today?" The contents of the bag are carefully emptied and sorted onto a large table. The Bound Tail of the Fire Squirrel immediately catches Syrik's attention. "Hey now…this is just what my artisans were looking for."

Gwenivere asks, "What were they hoping to craft?"

"A robe for Warlocks." Gwenivere smiles in turn, a dangerous look forming in her eyes. "If I take this to them now, they should have it ready within the hour." Gwenivere snaps her fingers, prompting Cyrus to take out pen and paper to scribe information that is of yet unknown to Syrik. He turns this paper over to the merchant, allowing him to read what's present. The information written upon the paper consists of Gwenivere's preferred robe measurements, personal accoutrements for style, and color choice. "I am looking forward to a most wonderful creation, young Syrik."

Syrik salutes her. "Leave it to me!"

He then dashes off, leaving the pair to watch the stall in his absence. Cyrus asks, "Have you enjoyed your time in this world, Gwen?"

"I believe that goes without saying, darling." She looks about to see other merchants setting up their stalls, a soft smile forming when she gets a look at their expressions. She sees a collection of countenances ready for the arduous work ahead, ones that are accented with smiles suggesting their bearers welcome the struggle. "It's no different from home." She pauses, adopting a momentary look of melancholy. "No, that's not quite right; there is one notable difference." She turns to Cyrus as she follows, "You're much happier here." She rests a hand on his cheek, her expression and smile turning nostalgic as she gazes into his eyes. "What I'd give to gaze upon this glow every day in Erdboden." She removes her hand, a sigh tarnishing her otherwise gentle features. "The time you spend here is akin to a vacation." Her face shifts to convey a pained expression, accentuated by her sudden choice to break eye contact. "I dislike viewing it that way, but I can't help it."

"Things have improved back home since the war ended; just give it more time."

"Why should you have to wait when you could be happy here and now?" Cyrus motions to reply but can only heave a brief sigh of defeat. "You deserve nothing but the best, just as you have given me." She folds her arms as she adopts an imposing stance before him. "I would have been quicker to accept your dismissive viewpoint three years ago, but we're married now, Cyrus; our relationship is now so much more than that of master and servant."

He snickers. "You say that as if it hadn't escalated much earlier than that."

"Hush, I'm trying to make a point."

"I understand that, and I hear your point in kind. Gwen, life became bearable after I met you; it became bearable still after I arrived in this world and met Lissa. It-" he pauses, his throat arresting his words as his mind suddenly grinds to a halt. He shrugs off this hesitation to answer Gwenivere properly. "It's a process, this life of mine; all I can do is be patient with it as I pay off the debt I owe the world."

That last statement causes something to snap within Gwenivere's head; her features instantly shift to become irate in their visage. Her tone matches this ire, though she manages to rein herself in to avoid shouting. "You don't owe the world shit." Cyrus' eyes widen upon hearing this, his body recoiling at the words he is unaccustomed to hearing from his mistress. "There is not a person in Erdboden's history I can name, save perhaps for Amy, who has suffered even a fraction of your experiences." She heaves an exasperated sigh, her foot beginning to tap involuntarily. "There isn't a man alive who has so much as borne witness to the struggles you've survived." With a shake of the head, her voice drops its irate tone to put forth fatigue instead. "It hurts, Cyrus; it hurts to think that you're convinced this suffering is earned. I wa- no," she shakes her head, offering self-correction, "I will change that one day; that is my promise to you."

Cyrus is silent for a long moment after hearing this. He finds his voice again as his wife pulls him into an embrace, holding him close as she once again professes her love for him. "Thank you, Gwen." Their conversation switches to gentler topics; their time together is enjoyed in peace once more until Syrik returns. He is armed with a hoodless black robe fit for a mage. The cuffs of the sleeves, hem, and collar are lined with neatly trimmed red fur, presumably from the Bound Tail used in the robe's creation. Runic patterns are inscribed upon the fabric, covering the front, back, and both sleeves. ' _That is certainly impressive._ '

Syrik offers the robe for Gwenivere to try it on. She accepts the robe with a passing word of gratitude before donning the craft. Once fully garbed, she runs her hand along the fabric of her left sleeve, content with the gentle silky feel. "This garment is quite comfortable."

Pointing to Gwenivere's staff, Syrik says, "Try channeling mana into your staff; you might be surprised."

Gwenivere does as requested, arming herself and triggering a Union Skill to enchant her staff with Fire, Ice, and Volt in Hayato's absence. As she channels aether into her weapon to conjure its hammerhead, the runic patterns inscribed upon the robe take on a shimmering blue matching Gwenivere's eyes. When the prismatic hammerhead is conjured, its glow is brighter than usual; its hue in turn is deeper as it cycles through the color spectrum. Perhaps more notable than this is the residual aura emanating from the staff, evoking the sense of mana leaking from it. Gwenivere gives a single swing of this staff, feeling the aether of the weapon coursing through her and then flowing back into itself. "Ooh, now I like how that feels." She looks to Cyrus and nods.

In turn, Cyrus looks to Syrik and asks, "How much for the robe?"

"213,750en." Cyrus places the payment onto the table with no further questioning. "Pleasure doing business!"

The pair departs from the marketplace, returning to Jenetta's Inn to prepare for the day ahead. The party intended for today's excursion sees a few alterations. Fae and Gwenivere are staying behind to make room for Lissa and Clarisse. Once everyone is armed for exploration, the party bids farewell to the others and sets out for the Fetid Necropolis; they begin on the 11th floor. Pulling out her whistle, Clarisse looks to Cyrus as she asks, "So what did we forget up here?"

"We never explored beyond the sealed door on the 14th floor. We must also engage a Skelesword and retrieve the Undead King's Conditional Drop." He holds up a hand to Clarisse. "Don't summon Balto just yet; we'll bring him in for the battle with the Stank Lord." Clarisse snickers at this, having not heard that moniker in quite some time.

The Skelesword is a simple foe for the party to defeat; beyond the sealed door are two treasure chests. One contains a bottle of Hamao Prime; the other contains Formaldehyde, which the party happily accepts. As the group makes its way to the Undead King, Clarisse asks, "What is the Stank Lord's Conditional Drop, anyway?"

Cyrus shrugs, his voice dismissive and laced with contempt as he absently, almost instinctively replies, "Probably some ol' Curse Recoil bullshit." Everyone recoils at this, including Lissa. He ceases his effort to walk upon realizing that the others have stopped. "Is something amiss, everyone?"

Hayato steps forward and asks, "Are you feeling alright? That…didn't sound like you."

Lissa says, "I thought I was the one who got offended by Curse Recoil materials."

"This is probably the last one we'll have to deal with until the next adventure, so maybe I shouldn't be too upset." He shrugs at the notion before continuing. When the party arrives at the Undead King's chamber, they find him milling about and doing nothing of substance. The sound of the opening door catches his attention, causing him to turn his head to gauge the intruders. He seems to recognize the Seekers, as he points to Cyrus directly and shoots a hateful glare in his direction. "I honestly didn't even do much to ruin your day back then." Crow furiously shakes his hand in response. "Irate beyond words? That works too." He clutches at the Soboro resting on his left hip. "Seekers, let's do this."

Two Undead Fencers rise from the soil beneath the hovering Undead King, blades and shields at their master's beckon. The party's weapons are imbued with fire as Hayato triggers the effects of Blaze Prayer. Clarisse takes aim at the Undead King and fires, only for her arrow to be intercepted by one of the Fencers. She clicks her tongue in frustration at this. "Pain in the ass. Balto, get him!" Balto dashes into the fray from the shadows to take a bite out of the offending Fencer's ribcage. He rushes back to Clarisse's side, still holding the rib in his mouth. "Claimed a prize, did ya?"

"Not exactly my taste, but it will suffice."

The Undead Fencer that is now missing a rib pays this no heed as it assumes a defensive stance in front of its master. The remaining Undead Fencer charges at Cyrus and swings its sword. Despite Cyrus not moving a muscle, the enemy misses its swing entirely. Cyrus, having prepped his stance for a Mirror Moon counter, heaves a sigh. "You had one job." Before the enemy can retort or correct its blunder, it is smashed to pieces by the swing of Valerie's scythe. Cyrus nods to his apprentice as his attention turns to Clarisse. She attempts once more to fire an arrow at the Undead King, only for the remaining Fencer to intercept the shot; Balto claims another rib as his own. ' _Yeah, that's quite enough of your covering escapades._ ' He performs a flash step, appearing directly in front of the unsuspecting opponent, and performs a drawing slash, striking at an angle that causes the Undead Fencer to fall apart.

The Seekers take this moment of lackey-free respite to enact their assault on the Undead King unimpeded. As Crow casts off his wings and lands on the ground, Cyrus flies into view so that he might stab the enemy with his katana. A shrill cry fills the chamber as the Undead King tries to remove the katana. Cyrus snaps his fingers, warping the weapon back to himself as a brief flash overtakes the Undead King's form. As Crow motions to sling an insult, he takes an arrow to the right eye, which causes him to scream. "Augh, damn it! That eye was just starting to recover!" He suddenly finds himself engulfed in flames as Hayato finishes a brief dance. In a fit of screaming rage, the Undead King throws a punch at Cyrus, which is promptly parried by the sheath of his katana.

Valerie, seeing this as a prime opportunity, preps a bottle of Formaldehyde just before Cyrus motions to draw his weapon. He performs a back-step, crouching low as his hand grasps the hilt of the Soboro. He executes his drawing slash, unleashing a wave of fire that engulfs the entire northern half of this chamber. The roaring flames drown out the scream of the Undead King before silencing him completely. Cyrus slashes his weapon to the side, dispersing the flames and revealing the only part of the Undead King to survive the engagement – his loincloth. Cyrus sheathes his weapon, exhaling a breath the others hadn't realized he was holding. "Excellent work, team. Is everyone good to continue?" They nod to him. "Good. Let's sell these items and then head to the Untamed Garden."

Lissa asks, "Do we have the Lucent Hollows fully cleared out?" He nods. "Huh. I'm not used to that." The first target in the Untamed Garden is the Puffer Sparrow, which proves to be more of a nuisance than a challenge. As the party makes way for the next item on its checklist, Lissa grumpily removes quills embedded in her shield. "Should have brought some damn pliers with me…" She tugs on another quill, only for her hand to slip again. "Piss!" Cyrus steps over to wrap a cloth around the quill; he then bites down and performs a swift tug, wrenching the quill from within the shield. "Oh, thanks, love."

"No problem, just don't tell Gwen or Master Annora." Lissa tilts her head at this. "They get incredibly upset when I use my teeth for such purposes."

"Yeah, my dad's the same way." Activating one of the gravity consoles on the 23rd floor, the party makes way for the large expanse housing four Clawed Fiends. Their target is the enemy located at the northern end of the area, which fails to ready itself in anticipation of their approach. Looking behind her, Lissa realizes that Clarisse hasn't summoned Balto. "You forgetting someone, Reese?"

She shakes her head to this. "Co told me that Clawed Fiends have some sort of vendetta against targets like Wraiths and animal companions. I can't put my puppy in that kind of danger."

Hayato begins the battle by bestowing unto the party the effects of Hail Prayer. He floats over to Lissa, taking refuge at her back as he hides behind her shoulder. He looks to see that Cyrus is embedding his katana into the shoulder of the Clawed Fiend, triggering the effects of Armor Pierce as the enemy struggles to throw him off. He wrenches his blade from the enemy before jumping off; he reaches Clarisse and Valerie's location as the former fires a debilitative arrow at the same spot his katana was just stabbed into. They look back to find Hayato break dancing on top of Lissa's shield. Valerie shades her eyes at the sight. "I don't even know him anymore." The frigid explosion halts the Clawed Fiend's advance, to which Valerie responds by coating her scythe in a sickly green glow. "That's my cue. Chief, cover me."

She launches herself from her current position to deliver a powerful scythe swing that leaves a deep gash in the flesh of the FOE. The creature roars in agony as the Deathbringer makes her escape. Hayato returns to hiding behind Lissa's shoulder so that she might float over to the front line and defend her allies. Its wild swing completely misses Cyrus, instead striking against Lissa's shield. She retaliates in kind by firing a round of her cannon. ' _I'm not even moving; why can't they hit me?_ ' Against reason, he looks around to confirm that he's actually wearing his Masurao gear instead of his Fencer attire. This sequence of events repeats until Cyrus takes a hit while reapplying the debilitative effects of Armor Pierce, which fills him with rage. "Where was this accuracy before?!"

Lissa heaves a sigh, though she is notably smiling as she does so. "Here we go again."

"Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" The Clawed Fiend roars at him; Cyrus roars back, causing his allies and the FOE to flinch out of reflex. He sheathes his katana to facilitate the act of gesturing with his arms, delivering an emphatic "DO IT!" as he does so. The Clawed Fiend responds in turn by delivering a full swing of its massive arm to strike the entire party, which Cyrus parries by executing an upward strike with his sheathed katana. As the enemy recoils, a red aura overtakes Cyrus; he looses another roar from his throat as he draws his katana into a downward overhead slash. He vertically bisects the Clawed Fiend, whose body does not fully separate due to the wave of ice from Cyrus' slash binding the splitting parts together.

Clarisse taps Valerie on the shoulder, leaning in to whisper into her ear. "I don't think I've ever heard Co make noise while attacking until now."

"He and Lady Gwenivere are quiet and focused…most of the time."

Cyrus sheathes his blade and exhales. After claiming some of the Wicked Armspikes from the corpse of his fallen foe, he floats back over to his allies as he confirms their well-being. "Everyone appears to be alright; that's good. I…" He hangs his head in shame, his voice soft and reserved as he follows, "I lost my composure; my apologies."

Clarisse shrugs before slapping his shoulder. "Don't worry about it; it's refreshing to see you emote and go all out."

He tilts his head at this. "I was holding back just now." Clarisse adopts an incredulous expression in response. Looking back at his handiwork, Cyrus says, "Had my angle been better I could have gotten the most out of that swing." He pulls a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket. "There should be one more enemy in this Stratum, but let's take a quick break…I need a drink after that." Instead of taking this respite at the Twilight Tavern, the party returns to Jenetta's Inn. After arming himself with a tall glass of orange juice, Cyrus spreads the map of the 25th floor across the table in the main lobby. His focused expression catches the interest of those around him, drawing several individuals to his location.

Lissa asks, "What's the last enemy of the Untamed Garden, again?" He glances at her before fishing out the Monstrous Codex from the Guild's essentials. The tome is opened to an empty entry listed directly after the Eternal Tyrant. Tilting her head at this, Lissa responds, "Huh…It's between the Eternal Tyrant and the Primordiphant. What did we miss?"

Cyrus shakes his head in reply as he returns the Monstrous Codex to its place among the Guild's essentials. "I've been hearing reports around the city during my downtime." He looks about the group as he follows, "There's some sort of creature on the 25th floor that has only been described as a giant orange orb." Lissa and Fiona's eyes widen at this; "Yeah, just like the FOEs of Armoroad."

Folding her arms, Fiona says, "I guess that means no one has actually tried engaging the creature."

Fae asks, "What can a giant orange ball do, Fi-Fi?"

She chuckles at this. "When explorers get too close, the orb explodes, revealing itself to be a powerful monster."

Fae's face is adorned with a pout. "B- But that's cheating! We can't plan a strategy if we don't even know what the enemy looks like!"

Hayato nods in agreement. "Not only that, but we'd have significantly more trouble discerning their movement patterns." He looks among the veterans of the Guild as he asks, "Were all of the Armoroad FOEs like that?" They nod to him. "How curious."

Cyrus says, "Curious still is that this creature is not always present; reports suggest that it emerges from the depths of the 25th floor at random intervals." Motioning a finger to the southwestern region of the 25th floor, he follows, "This is the area where the creature has been sighted, though I wouldn't doubt the possibility of more emergence locations."

Lissa says, "It…kinda sounds like a Pasaran." Fiona frowns at this but says nothing. "Yeah, I feel you, Fiona; I'm hoping that this thing, whatever it is, doesn't also explode."

Gwenivere asks, "What sort of party shall we assemble for this unknown foe?"

Cyrus rises from his seat as he says, "We'll use a variation of the Lullaby Squad." He snaps his fingers to call the Inabakyo to his left hand, which he then secures to his waist. "The party shall consist of Amy, Gwenivere, Master Annora, Lord Hayato, and myself." Gwenivere thinks on the composition for a moment before a small smirk begins to trace upon her lips. Cyrus cannot help but chuckle in turn. "It is as you are thinking, my liege; we will end this opponent with a single use of Clever Strike." The specifics of the plan are detailed at a proper meeting once the members of this party are assembled. Confident in the plan's success, the group departs from the inn, setting out for the Untamed Garden at 11AM.

Upon materializing, the group makes way for the supposed area where the target has been spotted. Diana summons a single Wraith to her side, calling upon the same armor-clad female knight who once fought at the party's side before. "It is wonderful to see you again."

The Wraith performs a curtsey. "To you as well, madame. What shall we face today?" The Wraith is given a quick rundown of the party's plans for this excursion. "Oh, you're looking for the Harvester."

Cyrus arches an eyebrow at this. "It has a name?"

"That's what the spirits call it; it occasionally emerges from deep within the forests up here in order to feed, then they return to the forest depths."

Amy asks, "Do you know what it looks like?"

The knight shakes her head. "It's a giant orange ball that just…" she shrugs. "It envelops its prey, leaving not a trace behind." She looks among the group, her expression stern; though her helmet hides her features from view, the sentiment of her gaze is lost to no one. "I'll help however I can." As the party activates the gravity console located in F3, she follows, "I suggest you all get comfortable; you're gonna be waiting a long time for that creature to show up."

The party reaches the gravity console located at the bottom edge of C2, where they return themselves to ground level. Stepping into the great expanse that covers the southwestern region of the floor, the group looks around, but finds nothing of interest. Diana comments that, "There are no signs of hostile auras, either." She looks to the side to find Gwenivere casting Invisibility upon the party; Gwenivere then makes her way over to a large tree where she takes a seat and opens a book. ' _Surely we won't be waiting for that long?_ '

The entire group huddles around the Elemancer, engrossed in her reading. The twilight hue of the sky catches their attention, marking that the hour has struck 4PM; the group has read through a few books by this point, though the reality of such has yet to dawn upon any of them. Cyrus rises from his seat to stretch, yawning as he does so. "I had no idea that 'The Forbidden Rite' series was so good."

Reaching for the fourth entry in the series, Gwenivere says, "Indeed. I suggest we purchase a copy of the set to take home with us." She reaches for her mug of tea, halting as a powerful wave of malice accosts her senses. She looks up, her vision graced with the sight of a massive orange orb. "Our mark has arrived."

The others ready themselves in turn, catching the orb's attention as it seems to stop and rotate to "face" them. It motions forward; its movements are slow and deliberate, akin to a hunter simultaneously intimidating its prey and preparing a favorable position. As the group approaches, the orb explodes, revealing its true identity to be that of a gigantic praying mantis, purple in color and sporting a copious number of scythes and scythe-like protrusions on its limbs. The wings upon the creature's back are a golden shade of yellow, shining brightly in the sun and accentuated by the white circular pattern they sport. The creature moves around the party, searching for an opening but not committing to the opening attack. A wicked smile is upon the creature's face as it gazes down upon its selected prey, no doubt as malicious as the aura it exudes.

Cyrus steps forward, left hand clutching the sheath of his katana. "Let's move, Seekers." The battle opens with Amy triggering a Union Skill on her own, calling upon a Blessing as she takes a swift moment to pray to the gods of Erdboden. Hayato fires a red arrow into the sky; the Harvester preps its guard, taking a step back to avoid the raining red energy, cautious of potential damage. ' _Blaze Prayer was a good guess._ ' His Runic Eye shimmers red; ' _Indeed._ '

Diana orders her Wraith to merge with the Harvester's soul; heeding this order, the knight self-destructs to damage the Harvester's spirit. Gwenivere is busy casting the effects of Amplifier upon the front line; Cyrus, in turn, is dashing to a favorable position. The Harvester ignores both individuals in favor of swinging one of its scythes at Amy and Diana. Amy catches the scythe with her bare hand but is surprised to find that she is sliding along the grass from the impact; her efforts allow Diana to duck under the attack and avoid damage in turn. She pushes the Harvester's scythe away before rushing to Gwenivere; she places a hand on her shoulder and takes a moment to focus and imbue her comrade with the effects of Overexertion.

"This will sting, milady."

She scoffs, as is her expected response. "Have no fear, dear sister; my brief pain will be nothing compared to the agony soon to be unleashed upon our foe." Amy takes her place in front of Gwenivere, prepping her guard to defend her liege from any potential attacks. Gwenivere taps her staff to the grass below, wordlessly conjuring a Magic Shield to protect her allies. ' _On the off-chance this creature can wield the elements…_ ' Wounds begin to open on her right arm, causing her to verbally wince. Almost immediately after, her pain begins to subside as a healing solution rains down from above. She glances back to see Hayato lowering his bow. A soft smile forms on her face. ' _A well-timed Medica III; impressive._ ' She chuckles, returning her focus to the enemy as she says, "Much obliged, little prince."

Cyrus hurls his katana at the Harvester, which motions to block the oncoming attack with a blade of its own. This act is intercepted as Diana opens her coffin to envelop the enemy in flames. A shrill cry escapes the Harvester as its guard drops, allowing Cyrus' katana to pierce its flesh unimpeded. He warps to the weapon, quickly wrenching it from the enemy and jumping high into the air. The Harvester spins in place, causing a frigid gale to hit the front line. The damage is reduced as a result of Gwenivere's preemptive measures, dropping the gale's effect to that of a wintry morning breeze. With the wind dissipated, Gwenivere assumes her raven form and takes to the sky above.

Seeing that its attack was essentially ineffective, the Harvester enacts its own defensive measures, motioning into a jig that demonstrates its surprising agility. A flash of white light emits from the forms of everyone except Gwenivere; Cyrus coats the battlefield in a Black Mist, still airborne as he readies himself for the inevitable descent. "Let's make this count; Amy, use one of our Leg Binders!"

Amy dons a pair of surgical gloves before pulling out a bundle of some sort of orange thread; this grants Hayato enough time to perform a dance to satisfy the spirits of fire watching over the battle. These spirits reward the Shaman with a fiery explosion that engulfs the Harvester. ' _One of Fae's bomb adaptations would have been better for a target this big, but I'll make do._ ' She charges into the fray, readying the bundle in her hand as the Harvester sets its sights on her. "Get you some!" The enemy is not given the opportunity to follow through on this demand, for a soporific cloud envelops its head; it inhales the cloud's components, completely caught unawares, and falls asleep. Cyrus lands on the ground beside Amy, maintaining the usual stoic expression he wears in combat. "Not bad, nii-chan; not bad at all." She looks around as she asks, "Where is Lady Gwenivere?" Cyrus points to the sky above, directing Amy's attention to it.

The small form of a raven speeding down towards the sleeping Harvester commands the focus of the party. Gwenivere, satisfied with the speed of her descent, transforms back into her human form, her staff prepped in the prismatic glow of Enchant. She performs a spin, which causes Cyrus, Amy, and Diana's heads to recoil in shock. The seconds before impact are composed of a still silence as the combatants await the conclusion of their efforts with bated breaths. Gwenivere's blazing prismatic hammer connects with a thud that briefly sweeps along the air before being overtaken by the roar of a powerful and fiery explosion. The shockwave nearly knocks the remaining party members off their feet before it dies down.

The flames disperse, revealing that the corpse of the Harvester is well-preserved. Gwenivere stands atop her fallen foe, one hand resting upon her hip while the other rests atop her staff. She looks down upon her comrades, a proud and haughty expression comprising her countenance. "It is done." She gracefully flips from the corpse of the Harvester, securing her staff to her back before she hits the grass below. Cyrus walks past her, offering a commendation for her efforts as he approaches the Harvester. "I suppose there is only one last push I can make to reach the peak of my power in this world."

"Yes, as an Elemancer at least; you'd make for an incredible Ronin, Gwen."

She giggles at this, running a hand through her hair before joining him. "You spoil me, darling." The first item procured from the Harvester is one of its large sickles, which is lightly coated in blood. "Is…this blood ours or the enemy's?"

Cyrus says, "That should be from when I stabbed the creature." He works with Diana to carefully remove the wings of the fallen mantis. Granted a closer look at them, Cyrus can see that the wings are more fragile than they appear. "There's a certain kind of beauty to behold with material like this." After the items are carefully stored away, he removes a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket. "Alright, let's head back and get some rest."

"Nii-chan, we just bummed about for…5 hours; we don't need another break."

"Sure we do." Amy scoffs at this, taken aback by such a matter-of-fact statement. This feeling will remain with her all the way back to Jenetta's Inn, where a hot meal and comfortable atmosphere await.


	68. Roaming the Void

**Chapter 68: Roaming the Void**

When the sun sets, Cyrus and Hayato depart from Jenetta's Inn to sell the materials procured from the Harvester to Syrik. The young merchant first observes the Bloody Sickle, scanning a wary eye across its features and brushing a gentle hand along the surface. "Hm…you know, it's been awhile, but I think this sort of blade is what my Brouni artisans have been looking for."

Hayato asks, "What were they trying to make?"

"Back when you guys were exploring the Tutelary Forest, they made a bow that could harness the power of defensive spirits."

Cyrus nods to this, his mind returning to the days when Fae practiced her archery. "That bow was helpful for exploration; it allowed Fae to cover our defenses so that Lord Hayato didn't need to tax himself." He thinks on the notion before following up with a question. "Am I to assume the spirits called by this sickle would be offensive in nature?"

Syrik nods with a smile. "Good guess! We could make a scythe with this sickle; it would channel the effects of the Ruinous Prayer." He turns his gaze to the Goddess Wings accompanying the Bloody Sickle, an eyebrow arching in turn. "Let's see…" His eyes widen as he looks to Hayato. "Prince, do you remember the ceremonial dance performed before the Zepheria Exchange begins?"

Hayato nods to this, though he is not immediately certain why the topic was broached. "I do, yes, but what does tha-" His eyes widen in turn, his revelation disrupting his thoughts. "Ah, I get it! These wings do look a lot like the feathers of the mantle worn for that ceremony. Can your artisans replicate it?"

"You bet." He hands the duo payment for the materials before carefully storing them. With no further business to tend to with the Seekers for the evening, he bows as he gives a parting message. "I'll see you guys later; we gotta get to work!"

Cyrus and Hayato depart from the marketplace now that their business is complete. As they walk, Hayato's attention is turned to the stars above, which seem to shine more brightly than usual on this night. "Hey, Cyrus?" His comrade turns his head to grant his attention but says nothing to respond. Content with the gesture alone, Hayato nods to himself; "You mentioned once before that you'd stay in this world for a time after our journey is over."

"That's right."

"I was wondering if…" He hesitates, a grip of fear seizing the words in his throat; his composure is regained shortly afterwards, though a visible trepidation is upon his countenance. "Would you…visit the palace to meet my family?" He quickly falls silent after presenting his request, though he continues to walk since Cyrus makes no effort to cease. A brief veil of silence drapes around the pair; ' _Yeah, I should have expected as much…_ '

"It would be nice to see Nagato as a proper adult; the two I knew were both younger than I am." His voice turns somber as he regrettably follows, "The one from home had his life cut short…" He shakes his head to rid himself of the returning memories. "The one from home…was quite looking forward to becoming a father."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. He had several names for daughters planned but struggled with naming a son." He smirks, chuckling as he follows, "I suggested the name 'Hayato' to him; he said he would consider it. That was…his way of saying he liked the suggestion."

Hayato stifles a snicker; "That sounds like him."

"Going to meet Fae's parents will give us a chance to visit your family as well." He smirks again, his expression converted to display mischievousness. "Might as well introduce them to the little one while we're at it."

Hayato lets out a loud, displeased groan at this. "Come on, not you too!"

"You might not yet be aware of it, but your old man likes them young; you might have inherited such."

Hayato adopts a look of confusion; "Beg your pardon? Mother is older than father."

"Not in wolf demon years she isn't."

The confused expression Hayato wears promptly evolves into sheer bewilderment. His mind struggles in vain to make sense of what Cyrus just said, more specifically why he would bring up such an irrelevant notion. "…What?"

"It's a long story; I'll tell you later."

Hayato's bewilderment deepens further. "…What?"

This confusion is left to stew as the pair makes its way back to Jenetta's Inn. The table in the main lobby is entirely occupied with a group of patrons engaged in playing a game of Blackjack. Curiously, the rectangular table normally found in the lobby is nowhere to be seen, seemingly having been replaced by a semi-circular table suitable for casino-style games. Fiona stands at the side of the table, garbed in a black suit with her rapier at her waist instead of secured to her arm. She appears to be acting as the dealer. Curiously, Fae is among the playing patrons, wearing her own black suit as well as a pair of sunglasses. She wears her usual smile as she playfully kicks her feet; two cards are held in her hand, soon to be three as Fiona looks to her expectantly.

"Double down." In reply, Fiona deftly tosses a card to the child, adding to her hand. The card she receives is an Ace of Spades, adding to the pair of 10s already in her possession. Her smile does not waver, nor does it intensify; this consistency in her expression makes for her own variation of a poker face. ' _That'll do._ ' She scans her eyes to gauge the competition; first falling to Conrad, she can glean no useful information from his countenance. Like her, his face is adorned with his usual easygoing smile; his eyes are focused, which has been the case since the game began.

Watching the game from afar, Cyrus takes a knee to whisper in Hayato's ear, "That was a bold move on Fae's part."

"Yeah. Do you think Lady Gwenivere taught her that?"

Cyrus shakes his head to this. "Milady is not fond of playing with risks when she's gambling; she's not fond of gambling in general." He quickly scans around the lobby but doesn't find the person he's hoping to see. "It was Amy no doubt." His eyes glance to the banister of the staircase above, where Amy stands alone in silence, gazing down upon the game. "Yep, definitely her." The end of the round is called, with Fae as the winner for possessing a natural Blackjack. Fiona possessed a Blackjack in turn, though hers consisted of a 4, 7, and 10; this would have been bested by Conrad, who possessed a Blackjack comprised of a 2, 9, and 10. Game concluded, and winnings earned, Fae happily rushes over to Cyrus to jump into his arms. "You did well to win that hand, little one."

Hayato folds his arms, smirking as he says, "A move both bold and impressive, Fae."

She giggles at the praise, giving a thumbs-up as she replies, "Only the best from me, Prince!" As Cyrus sets her down on the floor, she looks up to him and asks, "Are we exploring the 29th floor tonight?"

"I suppose we could; I'll rally the others." Most of the Chain Squad is assembled, though Gwenivere elects to remain at the inn. In her place, Diana steps in. After changing to his Fencer attire, Cyrus leads the group to the 29th floor, Area 4 of the Empyreal Bridge. Arken awaits them at the shortcut leading to what was marked as the floor's half-way point. Holding up a hand to hail her, Cyrus says, "Greetings, Arken; I hope you weren't waiting long."

"I merely returned here for a brief respite; are you going to explore on this evening?" They nod to her, which brings a soft smile to her face. "Then I shall join you." The Wraiths Diana summons appear as aetherial wisps with no discernible form. Though they are capable of clear communication, they do not seem to possess any working memory of the lives they once lived. "That is peculiar; I would be quite surprised to find the spirits of deceased humans resting up here." The group makes use of the purple warp in D7, which returns them to the western side of the Area that they once elected to avoid exploring. A door stands in the distance ahead, with a blue warp a short walk to the east.

Stepping through the door takes the group into an area containing a Taurus Demon, which immediately begins advancing towards the party as the door closes behind them. There is no reason to engage the enemy, and the area, at a glance, appears to be structured in a way that will allow the Seekers to explore and chart it without granting the Taurus Demon opportunities to approach. Some pools of space waste are discovered, as well as a blue warp that can be approached from the top side; approaching from this side will send the group back to the other side of the door that they used to enter. Before further progress can be made, the group is approached by a pair of enemies.

Both enemies are a sub-species of two enemies the Seekers have previously encountered. At the fore is a large parrot sporting primarily green and purple plumage. Its beady black eyes, surrounded by crimson-colored sclera, scan the party, likely in search of a chance to counter as the Prancing Parrot of the Jagged Reach once did before. Cyrus slowly draws his sword as he steps ahead of his party, catching the attention of both enemies. His Runic Eye shimmers yellow as it falls upon the Wily Parrot, but his concerns lie with the enemy on the back line. Armed with an ebon staff is a creature similar in appearance to the Flame Temptress of the Fetid Necropolis. Her black dress contrasts with her flowing pink hair; her head is topped with a ceremonial headdress.

Cyrus is granted pause by the sight of this creature, for her aetherial signature boasts trait combinations he is not accustomed to seeing. He glances back to his party as he says, "Ready Chain Shock, Fiona; the enemy in the back practically nullifies the elements." Fae preemptively tosses a purple bomb at the Wily Parrot, though she fails to debilitate the target, she has it frazzled and alert. "We need the Blaze Prayer." The familiar sound of Hayato's spiritual spell card materializing into existence graces Cyrus' ears, granting a mental time limit for the prince's preparations. Sensing that Fiona is prepping her own combat stance, he nods to himself; ' _Let's begin._ '

The Wily Parrot mimics Fiona's combat stance almost instantly, and with close to perfect accuracy. Cyrus charges in to deliver a thrust of his blade into its wing; as the giant bird prepares to retaliate, Fiona is already upon it, stabbing her blade into its chest. The bird emits a pained squawk but does not appear deterred from its goal. Fiona quickly crushes this intent by removing her blade and delivering a second thrust to its head. The Night Witch expresses surprise at the sudden fall of her comrade, which grants Fiona enough time to charge in and deliver an electric thrust to the creature's stomach.

The Night Witch falls back in an attempt to gain distance but is set upon by one of Diana's Wraiths; this Wraith merges with the Night Witch before exploding, causing direct damage to the soul that brings the enemy to one knee. The remaining two Wraiths charge in to slash at the Night Witch with their wispy arms; they are deterred by the Witch swinging her staff in defiance. Unbeknownst to the enemy, the Wraith that just damaged her soul has reincarnated, and now looms behind her. She stabs her staff into the ground, holding a hand to its tip as aether is visibly channeled around her. Cyrus sheathes his sword as he calls for two orders. "Dance Oracle and Chain Flame."

Hayato, having already been in the process of putting on a performance for the spirits observing the battlefield, finishes well before the Night Witch can fully cast her spell, and is rewarded with a fiery explosion that knocks the enemy off balance. Fiona charges in and stabs her blade into the enemy's throat, ending her life. As the creature's corpse slumps to the ground, so too does her cane fall. Fiona picks up the staff, taking note of its make as well as the shimmering gem inlaid at its tip. "This isn't just a cane; it doubles as a sword."

Removing the gem from the tip of the staff, Diana says, "I can see now how that creature nearly nullifies the elements. Her staff drains much of the incoming damage in her place."

Holstering his bow, Hayato says, "That probably helps her channel powerful magic too." With the spoils of war secured, the party continues with its adventure. The blue warp drops them off a short distance away from the blue warp in C2 they opted not to take; with no other options, save for engaging the Taurus Demon, the group makes use of this warp. This drops them off in front of a door, which leads to the other half of the area hosting the Taurus Demon. Looking to the left, Hayato can see that the path the Taurus Demon will take to reach them is littered with a pool of space waste. "Do you think the Taurus Demon will disintegrate if it touches that?" The group tests this theory and is met with a dissatisfying result: the Taurus Demon recognizes the danger of the space waste and avoids contact. "That's unfortunate." Looking to Cyrus, he asks, "How do we get past this?"

Cyrus looks at the map that he's worked to draw thus far. "Hm…" His gaze focuses on the available warps; his mind soon works out a route. "Alright, follow me." He leads the party through the process of luring the Taurus Demon close to the path they took to the warp located in B1. Upon taking the warp in B1, they take the warp in C2 to step through the door leading into the eastern edge of this same area, halting the retreat of the Taurus Demon as it becomes consciously aware of the group's return. "As I suspected, the species is quite adherent to this behavior."

Pressing on, the group is soon beset by a pair of enemies. Cerberus stands before them, flanked by a yellow sub-species of the Forest Aye-Aye the group once faced in the Tutelary Forest. Fiona's eyes widen at the sight. "Oh shit."

Cyrus steps to her side, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Indeed." Fae tosses a Dark Bomb preemptively, failing to ail the enemies but subjecting their systems to further debilitation; to avoid the worst effects of the bomb, the Mimic Aye-Aye jumps onto the back of its comrade, who in turn leaps away from the cloud of smoke. Knowing that Hayato will call upon the Hail Prayer to make the dispatching of Cerberus easier, he crouches low to prep a charge. "Fae, try to petrify that Aye-Aye!" She voices her assent as she pulls a bomb from her bag. He charges in, stabbing his blade into the shoulder of Cerberus; he wrenches his blade from the creature, performing a flip that keeps the enemies' attention on him. Fiona rushes into the fray, stabbing her blade into Cerberus' flesh twice.

The Mimic Aye-Aye prepares to mimic the reaction of its comrade, only to feel something cold and metallic collide with its face. In that same instant, its body turns to stone and falls from the back of Cerberus. Before the three-headed dog can process the situation, it feels the world go cold and dark; a frigid air consumes the area around it as Diana's Wraith draws near and detonates to trigger a cold explosion. The battle is won with no one taking damage; the party collects its spoils and proceeds through the door ahead.

Beyond this door is a massive expanse holding no less than three Taurus Demons that can immediately be seen. Arken looks around, noting the pools of space waste littering the ground. "It would seem that we can lure the Taurus demons into pockets of space."

Fae nods to this as she says, "We'll need to chart more of this area first." She pulls out a Ward Chime, looking to Cyrus as she asks, "Permission to use this, Uncle?"

"Permission granted." This is followed by the sound of gentle ringing filling the silent air. "Let's get to it." There are four Taurus Demons stationed in this expanse; each one stands near a spattering of space waste and can be barred by open pits interspersed about. Working from the bottom up, Cyrus and Fiona work together to draw the southern-most Taurus Demon to the bottom edge of the pit in C4. Doing this leaves the Taurus Demon in a position where it can only move if approached from the bottom edge of the area or from the eastern side, neither of which the Seekers plan to use. This process is repeated for the top-most Taurus Demon, which is maneuvered at the bottom edge of the pit in B3.

The remaining two Taurus Demons, due to sharing a general area, are lined up to act in unison, allowing the party to lure them to the top edge of the expanse. There is room for the enemies to advance towards the party as it makes way for the exit, but the speed at which they move is insufficient. Fiona dusts off her shoulder as the door closes behind her, giving a passing comment on how easy that exchange was. Arken voices agreement with this. "Yes, you all handled that quite nicely."

To the south is the entryway of the shortcut that was discovered alongside the Mine Point in D5, as well as a patch of fertile soil where Mandrapotatoes grow in peace. The northern path leads to progress, with a blue warp standing in the way. The group takes it, as there is no other option, and is whisked away to A6. The option of the same blue warp is still available, albeit now from the top side; two others remain, a yellow warp and a green warp. Drawing in the map, Cyrus says, "The yellow warp will take us back to the expanse filled with the Taurus Demons, so that's not an option."

The green warp can be approached from the top side or the right side. The former will send the party to the bottom right edge of E5, which is a part of the expanse hosting a Mounting Horror. The only option that remains is approaching the green warp from its right side. The party is now set on a path that leads to a purple warp nested away in A1. Taking it sends them to an uncharted northern portion of the narrow island in Area 3.

Diana folds her arms as her eyes settle on the purple and yellow warps before them. "Two choices here…" After counting the tiles on the map in her head, she says, "The yellow warp is a trap." Trusting this assessment, the party takes the purple warp, which sends them to uncharted territory in Area 2. "It would appear that we're treading backwards again." She looks to Fae as she asks, "How are you feeling, little one?"

"Huh? I feel fine, Granny; how about you?"

"Oh, I'm swell." She looks to Cyrus and nods, to which he responds with a nod in turn.

"It's past 2AM by this point." He takes a moment to stretch and yawn. "Are we all willing to continue?" The others voice their willingness to continue with the exploration, leaving their leader with no further qualms. "Alright, let's move." The available path consists of two turns; the party makes way for the edge of A1 of the 27th floor, where the second right turn awaits. This transitions into a long stretch that ends in the entry way of a shortcut and a patch of Forest Wheat. The shortcut drops the party right in front of a blue warp, one that can be approached from one other side. "Hm…that's a problem."

Fiona asks, "What do you mean?"

Pointing to the map, he explains that, "Both directions lead to uncharted territory, but one is undoubtedly a mistake." After doing some deductions in his head, his brow furrows. "If we approach from the top as we are now, I think we'll be set on a path to finally unlock that one shortcut we couldn't get to located in D3."

Fae asks, "That's a good thing, right?"

Cyrus thinks on this question for a long moment before shaking his head in reply. "Actually…no, it's a trap. The shortcut itself is bait." He holds a hand to the side of his head, adopting a flabbergasted expression. "That's never happened before…wait…" Upon closer inspection, the path he just wrote off as a trap reveals to have more avenues to travel. "We never approached that warp in D3 from the bottom side. Fae is absolutely right."

Fiona asks, "What about the alternative? Any ideas?"

"If we're lucky it would lead to a treasure chest holding something valuable, but it would undoubtedly be a dead end all the same; we'll come back for it." The following series of warps eventually takes the party to uncharted territory in B3 and B4 of the 27th floor. Before additional progress can be made, the group is beset by a quartet of enemies. A sentient being of Stardust accompanies a trio of cicada sub-species. The cacophony of their grotesque buzzing is made worse by their glossy black and pale-yellow color scheme. "Yeah no, piss off, Yggdrasil; we're not doing this today." He glances back, pouting as he adopts an uncharacteristically whiny voice akin to that of a child. "Mom! The cicadas are picking on me!"

A powerful aura bursts forth from Diana, nearly knocking her own comrades off their feet. "No one messes with my baby!" She draws upon the power of everyone present to trigger a Union Skill, summoning a myriad of aetherial chains to bind the enemy group. Her motherly fury proves to be more than any of the enemy group's number can handle, for they are all crushed until they explode into bursts of aether that linger on the air.

Fiona holds a hand to her mouth, in awe of the power put on display. ' _Holy shit._ '

As expected, Fae is the only member of the group not at all concerned with what just happened. "Wow Granny, you're so strong!"

Diana steps over to pick up the child, cradling her close as she says, "It's all because I have precious children to protect. Although…I probably should have held back." She looks to Cyrus as she asks, "Did that creature have a Conditional Drop?"

A quick glance through the Monstrous Codex reveals that the answer is an affirmative one. "It would appear so. We'll have to come back for it." He smiles as he follows, "Thanks for the save, though."

"Anytime, son; it's why I'm here."

Another Take Point is discovered near the next warp the party must take. Though they do not gather from it, its location is marked down all the same. A linear course is followed from here, soon ending at a purple warp located in A2. Cyrus says, "I guess we're heading back to the 28th floor." Upon materializing, he quickly realizes that the party is now in an expanse littered with space waste and at least two Prosperous Gels in the immediate vicinity. "You are taking the piss right now." He pulls out a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket. "It's a bit of a trek back, even with that shortcut unlocked, but we're not doing this tonight."


	69. Past the Edge of Flavorland

**Chapter 69: Past the Edge of Flavorland**

The following morning, after selling the materials earned from combat, the party returns to the uncharted territory of the 28th floor. Gwenivere has taken the place of Diana; she casts the effects of Levitation immediately upon arriving in this new region. She looks around to gauge the severity of the space waste that litters the area. "I can see why you requested my presence, darling. This is, as they call it, a hot mess." She looks amongst her team as she asks, "What is our course of action?"

"Let's go the pragmatic route and just destroy the Prosperous Gels that are in the way."

"Ooh, it's not like you to be so direct in such matters; whatever might be the occasion?"

Fae answers in Cyrus' place; "We solved a lot of puzzles last night; Uncle is really tired."

"I don't doubt that, little one." She turns her attention back to Cyrus, folding her arms as she follows, "Well? Are you well enough to continue?"

"I am; I figure there isn't much left to this stretch before we hit the final area."

"Should we miss a treasure chest?"

"We've already missed several; the final sweep will be performed later."

She nods to this, pivoting on her heel to set her focus on the path ahead. "Very well, I accept those terms. Let us commence the exploration." One of the two nearby Prosperous Gels emerges from a pool of space waste seeking to get a preemptive strike against its seemingly unsuspecting prey. This plan is thwarted with ease as the creature is paralyzed by Gwenivere's cold glare. "You are a mere hatchling; learn your place before approaching a proper predator." The creature shifts backwards, realizing that its window of opportunity had long since closed and that it has chosen the wrong target. It jumps out of the way to avoid the preemptive Toxic Bomb tossed by Fae, but still breathes in a portion of the smoke cloud.

The battlefield is blanketed in a Black Mist, courtesy of Cyrus. The Prosperous Gel is not deterred by this sudden change of events as it motions to use a pool of space waste as cover. As it makes way for the nearest pool, it bounces off of something it did not see. Its eyes adjust to see Fae smiling at it. She places a bomb in its mouth, smiling all the while as she says, "A present for you." The creature has but a moment to rectify the situation, but inadvertently wastes it processing how the child snuck on its location. The bomb placed in its body explodes, solidifying the creature's entire body. Pulling a bomb to trigger the effects of Smokeblight, Fae says, "We're good to go!"

A savage and electrifying beating is brought down upon the petrified Prosperous Gel, granting the Seekers a crushing total victory. Cyrus cleanly severs one of the creature's limbs with his sword; he hands it to Fae as he says, "Try using one of your herbs on this limb."

"You mean…try Refreshing Herb? Will that work on gelatin?"

He shrugs. "It's worth trying, right? You can't be a good alchemist unless you try silly things every now and again." His claim lights a fire in the child's eyes, prompting her to ruffle through her backpack to find the necessary herbs. ' _No shame. I fell for that line too, once upon a time._ ' To everyone's surprise, Fae's efforts to cure the petrified limb are successful, granting the party a well-preserved Gelatinous Leg. Hayato taps Cyrus' leg to get his attention, presenting a deformed core as the leader turns around. "Did that come from the Prosperous Gel?"

"Yep. It fell out of the hole where you severed its leg. Can we work with this?"

Gwenivere takes the Distortion Core in hand, studying its features and properties. "There is dormant mana within this; it will make for an interesting craft, to be true." She stores this with the party's belongings. "Are we going to face that second FOE?"

Sheathing his sword, Cyrus says, "Only if we must. We should be able to get around it." The party does indeed manage to maneuver around the Prosperous Gel without inciting its ire, granting them access to a green warp located in A3. Taking it warps the group to a small island in A7, where a purple warp awaits. "Back to Area 4 we go." A linear path follows until the group reaches the bottom right edge of the 29th floor. "The shortcut is to the north; I'll go activate it." When he returns, he says, "I found another patch of Forest Wheat near the shortcut. This Stratum is…surprisingly fertile."

Fiona nods in agreement. "We should consult the Council to establish a supply route."

Gwenivere says, "We could provide additional jobs for explorers in doing so since those merchants will need bodyguards." Arken chuckles, breaking her usual silence. "What has you so amused, Arken?"

"Your conversation reminds me of the time I spent at home. As a caretaker of a planet, you can imagine I learned a great deal of infrastructure." She giggles, a nostalgic smile forming as she follows, "Humanity has come a long way."

Hayato asks, "Did you truly raise this planet on your own?" She nods to him. "I can't imagine the weight of such responsibility."

Cyrus rests his hands in his pockets, his expression donning a contemplative countenance. "I can't help but agree. Even in the case of Erdboden, our entire universe even, no one god built that foundation alone. The gods had the support of each other, their vessels, and the very creations they chose to watch over."

Arken replies, "Would you not see this in a light similar to raising a child on your own?" The others tilt their heads at this. "Think about it. Raising a child should be a collaborative effort, and yet your species has proven that single parents can successfully raise children that go on to accomplish amazing feats." She looks at Cyrus as she says, "I believe the Soul Manager is proof of that." Cyrus nods to this, stating that he can't argue with such logic. "I'm proud of how far you've come, which is why I have chosen to take my leave. There is another planet, another child who needs me now that I can no longer provide for you."

Fae pouts at this. "B- But we barely got to know you…"

"I understand, Angelic Bomber, but that…is an unfortunate reality. Some parents spend so much time fulfilling the essential material needs of their young that they cannot fulfill the basic emotional needs."

Fiona says, "That kind of life is rough on the parent too; it's a difficult hustle, but I can't bring myself to begrudge people in that kind of circumstance."

The group's advance is halted as they reach a green warp at the bottom-most edge of the 29th floor. Before they take it, Gwenivere has one more question for Arken. "Do you regret raising the people of this world in the manner that you did?"

"Hm? No, I do not. In the end, I was able to interact with all of you personally; that is more than enough." The group is warped to another linear path on a narrow island formation. A door eventually enters their view as the hour strikes 11AM. Cyrus motions to open the door ahead of his allies, as Arken has grown accustomed to seeing. He suddenly stops, his hand reaching for the hilt of his sword. "Runic Gale? Are you alright?" There is no response; Cyrus takes a wide step backwards, putting considerable distance between himself and the door. "Is there something on the other side of that door? Something you sense that I do not?"

"Lissa told me about a door in Lagaard's 6th Stratum, one that opened into a warp they couldn't possibly avoid – one that forced a restart." He glances back to Arken, his stance still on high alert. "Are you familiar with the architect of this Empyreal Bridge?"

"I am not. Why do you ask?"

"I fear the architect has the heart of a prankster." He shakes his head, fully stepping away from the door. "Let's explore the rest of our options before stepping through." His prudence leads the party to the entryway of another shortcut, which the party activates and makes use of. The area to which they are transported is on the other side of the door that was just passed up. It is revealed that a blue warp, one that can be approached from two sides, was on the other side of the door, and that taking it from that side would have sent the party to B6, a destination so far removed from their current location that a restart would have been forced. Cyrus falls to his knees, raising his arms to the sky. "Praise be to the Goddess of Light!"

Arken can only nod at this development. "That…is quite diabolical; I haven't the words to respond to this design decision." The party avoids straying from the path of progress, soon arriving at a large island comprising the northern border of the 29th floor. A Mine Point sits in an open area on the western edge of this island. In the center are two warps, one blue, and the other yellow. The yellow warp is of no consequence to the party, leaving them to take the blue option. As the group materializes, Arken's senses are accosted by a feeling that instills a panicked tone the Seekers are not used to hearing from her. "Wait…" She raises a hand to halt the others, placing the other on the side of her head. "I'm receiving a transmission from the Arken, my people. It's weak, but present."

The party waits in silence as Arken carries out what they assume to be a telepathic correspondence. She occasionally mutters a reply to no one in particular; her once stoic expression gives way to a pained countenance, which only serves to instill greater concern in her comrades. A long moment passes before Cyrus asks, "Arken…is something the matter?"

She nods as her correspondence reaches its conclusion. "Terrible news, Seekers. The ship en route to retrieve me…is gone." The Seekers make no verbal reply, instead letting their expressions prompt Arken to elaborate. "Our homeworld was attacked." Their expressions now convey shock and horror. "Not only that, but the mothership and its battleship escort have been destroyed." She falls silent for a moment in an effort to take in the information at hand. "That transmission was from the captain's last words…as well as my people's final message to me."

Gwenivere says, "You need not repeat them if the pain is too great, Arken."

She shakes her head to this. "No, you need to hear this. They were routed by a monster known only as the Star Devourer. The entire fleet was annihilated. Their final act was to seal that creature on this very floor."

Hayato's eyes widen in terror. "That creature is here?!" Arken nods to him. "What…what are you going to do now? Are you going to be alright?"

"This…is the risk you run with interstellar travel; it's no different from the hardships you all faced to reach this point. I…appreciate your sympathy."

Hayato follows up with another question. "What will you do now?"

"I will honor their final wishes and complete my journey."

Fae steps forward, likely ready to press the subject of giving Arken more time to properly grieve, but she relents when Cyrus kneels and rests a hand on her shoulder. He shakes his head, advising against the action she knows her heart wishes to take. As he rises to his feet, he looks to Arken; his expression is one the caretaker has yet to see. In his eyes burn the cold flame of anger and disgust, and yet the rest of his countenance conveys only comfort and empathy. "Tell us about this Star Devourer."

Arken's expression turns cold in turn, though it is visibly in an effort to steel herself. "Little is known about it, save that it has lived on the fringes of the known universe since before the first Arken. As far as we can tell, it is possibly one of the most powerful beings in existence." Her gaze shifts to the ground below as she recalls the information of this creature. "It consumes anything and everything in its path, even entire planets, hence the name."

"I see…it reminds me of the Abyssal God."

"I am afraid that is the extent of our knowledge; no one has encountered the creature and survived to report their findings." She grants a moment for the Seekers to process this information. Fae has stepped over to Gwenivere, who picks up the child and holds her close. Cyrus and Fiona stand in quiet contemplation, though to what ends Arken cannot discern. "This changes nothing. This planet will be all right. However, the new planet in need of my guidance will need me now more than ever."

Gwenivere asks, "What is the strength of the seal holding that creature at bay?"

"It should hold strong; even a creature of the Star Devourer's make could not easily break free." She steps ahead, pointing to the north. "Our exit from this cosmic corridor is just ahead; let us proceed."

Cyrus looks behind him to see a blue warp that will take the group back to the northern border of the 29th floor. Curiously, the warp can be approached from the left and right sides as well. ' _Hm…interesting._ ' He presses forward with the others, soon reaching the center of the floor. A lone door awaits at the end, which Cyrus elects to approach. Arken speaks up as if to stop him. "Yes, Arken?"

"Beyond this door awaits our final destination. Beyond that is the exit to the cosmic corridor…the path to the planet we will guide together."

He arches an eyebrow at this. "Together?" Her eyes widen as she places a hand to her mouth. Cyrus chuckles at this. "I'm honored you'd consider us worthy of such responsibility, but I can't undertake that sort of journey yet…especially not when that creature still lives."

"Runic Gale, surely you do not intend to face the Star Devourer?"

He folds his arms, shooting a stern gaze in her direction. "In the time you've known me, little though that may be, have I given you reason to believe I wouldn't do something like this?"

"I suppose not, but this creature is of another make from anything you've faced in Yggdrasil."

"In this Yggdrasil, perhaps, but the Abyssal God was very much akin to the Star Devourer." His face contorts to show fury as his mind recalls the horrible memories of journeying through Armoroad. "That wretched horror made its way from planet to planet, devouring the land of its essence and driving the denizens to madness."

Fiona adds that, "Even while sealed away, that cosmic horror's influence reached all across the city of Armoroad; the ocean city's entire history was disrupted by its arrival. That seal weakened over time, Arken; we had to face it at some point."

"Primevil, Etria's Yggdrasil Core, was the product of the mistakes of a lost ancient civilization. History dictates that we can't let our problems sleep beneath the surface."

"If you release that creature, this world faces the threat of annihilation; countless more will face that same threat."

Cyrus remains unfettered as he replies, "That is only if you're assuming we will fail to eliminate it."

Arken cannot articulate a proper response to this, taken aback by the sheer audacity of such a calm boast. "Runic Gale…if this is for my sake, I ask that you reconsider." He makes no motion to reply, nor does his expression change. "I cannot place my children in such danger."

"Arken, this isn't a promise of effort; I'm promising results. This creature has harmed the universe in ways I likely cannot fathom, but what I can fathom is that it has caused you harm and grief. Like it or not, you're one of my people now." He steps forward to kneel and look Arken square in the eyes. The cold flames of fury are no longer present, instead replaced with something gentler and comforting. "A Coelistis takes care of his own, and I never break a promise." He rests a hand on her shoulder, closing his eyes to carefully piece his next statement together. When they open, a sense of determination can be seen dwelling among the calm. "By our hand, the Star Devourer will be eliminated; you have my word."

A long silence falls upon the group as Arken takes time to process Cyrus' vow. She knows there is no room for negotiation here but attempts all the same to find the words to deter him. These words never arrive, leaving her to stare into the gaze of the Seekers' unwavering leader. She concedes with a nod and a sigh, internally cursing herself for not being firmer on this matter. "If you come to realize that victory is impossible, promise me that you'll turn back."

"I don't make promises I can't keep, Arken." She motions to reply to this, only to fall victim to hesitation as she realizes that the statement can be processed two different ways. He rises to his feet, pulling a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket. "We'll need to report to the Council; let's head back before continuing our exploration." Upon returning to Iorys, he looks to the others as he says, "Fiona, you're with me; everyone else, get some rest at the inn – take Arken with you."

The group complies with the order, leaving the pair to make way for the Council Hall. Ramus is here to greet the two, his smiling face quickly shifting to one of concern as he notices the countenances worn by Cyrus and Fiona. "Welcome, is something bothering you? I'd be more than happy to lend an ear."

Cyrus says, "We bring troubling news, your highness."

Understanding that this might take some time, Ramus calls for an order of tea, with a minor alteration that provides Fiona with coffee instead. After hearing the tale, Ramus takes a sip of his tea. "To think that such a dreadful creature is so close to our home. Do you truly intend to destroy it?"

Cyrus nods. "We do; it must be done. The seal holds fast for now, but there is no guarantee it will remain indefinitely."

Fiona says, "It's in our power to dispatch this threat to the world, so it should be our responsibility to do what we can."

"I must admit that I'm…taken aback by how calm you both are."

Fiona chuckles at this, lowering her mug instead of taking a sip. "This is what we do, Prince Ramus." She rests a hand on Cyrus' shoulder, a soft smile forming on her face as she follows, "We have never failed with this man behind the wheel; it's difficult to avoid being swept into the waves when he gets fired up."

Ramus chuckles in turn, his gentle smile returning as the conversation's tone shifts to something more lighthearted. "I don't doubt that; Mirina has shared some entertaining stories from the Seekers' time at the Twilight Tavern." He takes one final sip of his tea before setting the cup to the side. "I was planning on requesting your assistance with documenting the remainder of Yggdrasil, but I believe that can wait until after this final foe is bested." As Ramus rises from his seat, Fiona and Cyrus rise in turn. "Know that I believe in you; we of the Arcania Council, as well as the people of Iorys, will assist you however we can."

The pair nods to this and, after making a brief report to update the Council's records, departs from the building. Fiona looks to her companion and asks, "What will we do next?"

"Let's take it easy for now. Arken needs time to process what happened to her people; I figure one last sweep of requests for Mirina would grant us a respite."

"I've heard word around the city that someone is looking for a white flower; they need it for medicinal purposes."

"A white flower…" His mind turns to the Jagged Reach, specifically a conspicuous enclosure on the 7th floor that he and his allies once passed up, as well as a white flower noted on the 9th floor that was passed up for similar reasons. He frowns in turn. "That better not be the flower in question…" Fiona looks to him inquisitively, though he says nothing as he makes way for the Geomagnetic Pole. She follows after him; they return to the base of the cliff where the single white flower was located, surprised to find that the specimen has remained undisturbed this entire time. He holds out his sheathed sword to Fiona, who accepts it without a word.

With his acrobatic ability, Cyrus scales the rocky wall with ease. He stops at the top for a few moments before warping back to Fiona's side. He retrieves his sword from her with a passing word of gratitude. Holding out his palm, he shows her a petal from the flower. "Was that blown off by the wind?" He nods to her. The scent of the flower wafts on the steady breeze, bringing peace to their troubled minds. "Now that's nice. I think this might be what that citizen is looking for."

Agreeing with Fiona's deduction, he carefully stores the petal with the Guild's essentials. The two then depart from the Jagged Reach, making way for Mirina's tavern. "Hey, how's it going?" She smirks as she asks, "You two on a date?"

Fiona calmly brushes this off. "Nah, we're here for business. Is that Celestrian apothecary still searching for a white flower?" Mirina nods, to which Cyrus silently replies by handing her the flower petal. "Have a whiff, Mirina."

She does as advised, her eyes widening at the wonderful scent dancing on her nostrils. "Wow, that is good; I feel calm and invigorated. I wouldn't mind growing a garden filled with these."

Cyrus rests his chin in his hand as he says, "That would be a huge boon to university students…" He shakes his head, realizing that he runs the risk of descending into a state of self-muttering. Mirina assists him by turning over the Guild's reward, a straight sword that emanates magic. "Is that…a sword that petrifies its targets?" Mirina nods. "Ghastly…"

"Why does that surprise you? Didn't you travel with a Ninja who could do the same thing without a magic weapon?"

"Well…yes, I suppose that is true."

Fiona chuckles at this. "I hear Blank's been doing well; we should pay him and the others a visit when you come back to Armoroad to meet my dad."

"Absolutely." The two bid Mirina farewell and depart from the Twilight Tavern. Seeing that he is making way for the Geomagnetic Pole again, Fiona asks about his destination. He stops, turning to face her as he says, "I'm going to do some fishing to unwind…maybe some cooking afterwards."

"We can talk about it if you want, Cyrus."

"I'm fine at the moment, Fiona, but thank you."

She falls silent for a moment before shrugging her shoulder. "Eh, what the Hell; I'll go with you." A small frown fixes upon her face as she realizes that Cyrus is going to fish at the Fetid Necropolis instead of anywhere else in Yggdrasil. "Why are we here?" She pauses to wait for Cyrus' reply, only to immediately cut him off; "Just to suffer?"

"I don't see why you're upset. Anyway, there is a species of fish up here that is used in the recipe for Fishball Soup."

"You don't even like Fishball Soup!"

"Yeah, but you do." She blushes at this, looking away from him as she grumbles to herself. She continues to grumble as he casts his line. "Yes, I love you too, dear."

"Damn clown; you're lucky you're cute." She falls silent to grant Cyrus some peace to reel in a catch. A question comes to mind, which she voices in a lowered tone. "What kind of fish are you looking for, anyway?" Before Cyrus can answer, he feels a tug on his line, prompting him to wrestle his catch. Now that he has a second arm to use, this process is made much easier; he wrests from the water a species of fish whose body is comprised primarily of bones. There is little meat to be seen, making the act of eating this creature questionable. "Please tell me that's not it."

After careful observation, Cyrus looks to her regrettably and nods. "This is the Skeleton Fish."

"Oh Hell no. What could you possibly cook with that? It's made of bones; literally made of bones, even!"

"Yeah…needs must I consult with Jenetta on this; I'm not sure I know how to make this anymore." The two depart from Yggdrasil, their catch in tow. As they reach the front door of Jenetta's Inn, the sound of a mooing cow graces Cyrus' ears. He looks around but finds nothing. Looking to Fiona, he asks, "Has Jenetta always had a cow?"

"No. Amy and Valerie have been traveling with the Nomads in their down time. I'm surprised they haven't told you this story yet." He tilts his head at her, adopting an inquisitive expression. "They ran into a lost guard a few days ago on the Second Stratum. He, as repayment, guided them to the location of a cow that provided him milk. Jenetta named her Miss Hamburger." Cyrus' reply is a blank stare. "I couldn't make this up even if I was drunk."

"I believe you; that's the sad part." After receiving a cooking lesson from both Jenetta and Valerie, Cyrus takes the Chain Squad to the Twilight Tavern for a team meeting. The sun has nearly fully set, with the hour nearing 7PM. He steps up to Mirina, who hails the party with her usual smile. "Hey Matron, how goes?"

"I'm still doing well, Cyrus. A regular named Ghai is here at the moment; he has a request for you guys." Cyrus tilts his head at this, suggesting he doesn't know this individual. "I guess you two haven't met yet. Ghai used to be a traveling gourmand, but he settled down to become a regular here after eating our entire menu in one sitting."

Gwenivere rests her chin in her hand, resting her elbow on the counter in turn. A nostalgic smile is upon her face as memories of Erdboden flow to her mind. "I imagine he and Lord Frederick would get along."

"That would be nice; he's always sitting alone, even when the tavern is packed. He also seems to be growing bored with our fare; I don't want to lose a regular, so could you help me out?"

The others look to Cyrus, the often-designated chef of the Guild. He heaves a swift sigh, more akin to a half-chuckle, as he steps away to address the patron. He takes a seat at the table, followed shortly by his comrades. The man known as Ghai the Fiery soon realizes why these people are here. "Oh right, I'm the one who requested you guys; hope you're ready to cook me up some grub."

Fae asks, "What are you hungry for, mister?"

"See, I'm lookin' for Arcania's greatest eateries, meateries, and sweeteries. Right now, I've got a hankering for an Egg-in-the-Basket. So c'mon, show me what you got. Don't worry, I'll be waiting right here for you to take me to Flavorland!"

Cyrus rises from his seat and gently calls out Valerie's name. She warps to his side in an instant, handing him a white bandana as she rises from a crouching position. The two tie these white bandanas to their heads in unison, donning powerful smirks as their eyes are set upon Mirina's kitchen. Cyrus is the first to take a step forward; "Let's begin." The two return in less than 10 minutes armed with a small plate holding a freshly prepared serving of an Egg-in-the-Basket. Steam continues to rise from the dish as the egg quivers within its confines. Setting the plate onto the table in front of Ghai, Cyrus takes a step back, bows, and says, "Your dish, good sir."

"Ooh, now this looks real nice." He pokes at the yolk of the egg with his fork, noting its firm texture. At a mere glance, it would appear that the yolk is so thoroughly cooked that it won't spill forth to soak the toast as is standard for the dish. This changes as Ghai cuts into the dish; the splitting of the yolk reveals that the interior retains its liquid consistency. Steam pours forth as an aroma swirls around the table. He bites into his meal, eyes widening as the flavor and texture mingle upon his taste buds. "Holy guacamole…the bread's toasted on both sides, so it's soft yet crunchy." He looks to the Seekers and asks, "Do you guys eat this often?"

Fae nods enthusiastically, a wide smile upon her face as she says, "We try to get Uncle Cyrus to cook for us whenever we can; he makes some of the best food!"

"He's got skill, I'll give him that; same for the Harbinger." After finishing his food, he wipes his mouth before saying, "Next on the menu is Fishball Soup."

Cyrus bows again. "Right away, sir." He disappears into the kitchen.

Valerie is the one to emerge with a single medium-sized bowl of Fishball Soup in tow. She sets it upon the table, takes a step back, and then performs a curtsey. "Your soup, sir."

"Let's have a taste…holy guacamole! Usually I don't bother with Skeleton Fish, but this one's been ground down to perfection!" He takes a few more bites of his food despite not having finished his critique. He eventually restrains himself for long enough to say, "The fish balls go down smoothly, bursting with a funky, fishy flavor on the way down; excellent." He drinks the soup stock, letting out a satisfied sigh as he sets the bowl back down onto the table. "The stock brings out the inner zest of the ingredients, too; nothing's been wasted." He heaves another content sigh. "It's like a party in my mouth, but I'm also invited." He looks to Valerie; "You and the Fencer made this yourselves?"

She nods to him. "I run an establishment alongside my father; cooking is a passion of mine, one that Chief Cyrus has helped cultivate in the time we've known each other."

"Well hot dog! And to think you guys are explorers on top of that! So, uh, anywho…one more dish; last up is Traveler's Stew." Valerie nods to him and disappears into the kitchen. ' _This one will probably be their specialty._ ' Cyrus and Valerie return together, with the former holding onto the bowl that will be served to Mirina's patron. He sets it onto the table and takes a step back so that both he and Valerie can announce the meal's completion. "Alright, let's chow down!" He eats in silence this time, his expression more contemplative than it has been thus far. "Stewin' the Mandrapotato and milk together makes the stew smooth and gentle. It's like the warmth of a lover's embrace, tenderly caressing my tastebuds." He eats another spoonful; a single tear rolls down the side of his face. "It's like a ray of sunlight through the trees; a rainbow shining from heaven; a star shoots down from the heavens above with every bite I take!"

Though she knows full well the reason for Ghai's tears, Valerie asks, "Is the spice bothering you, sir?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, that ain't right. I'm only cryin; because I'm sitting here, enjoying a meal with my new friends. I've eaten at places all over Arcania, but I never would have guessed that friendship is the tastiest dish of 'em all." He looks to the Seekers, who all boast welcoming expressions. "I came to Iorys to find my inner Flavorland, but things got lonely 'cause I couldn't make any friends."

Gwenivere giggles at this. "For what it's worth, your reactions were quite the highlight of this evening."

"I've been worryin' Mirina too, I bet. I'll go tell her that, even though I'm leavin', I'll tell everyone I meet about this place…and the best cooks in town."

As he rises from his seat, he shakes hands with the group. They bid him safe travels as he exits the tavern. They report the events of the evening to Mirina, whose relieved expression speaks volumes for her current state of being. "Ghai had a shimmer in his eyes after speaking to you, and it wasn't from chugging our hot sauce this time." Cyrus shivers at this, but no one calls attention to it. "I'm certain he'll be all right now. Next time he comes back to the Twilight Tavern, he'll bring some friends along." She hands Cyrus a bag containing 70000 ental. "Thanks again for all your hard work." With their work complete, the Guild takes a seat at a table of their own, ready to place an order. "The steak house special? Coming right up."


	70. The Final Floor

**Chapter 70: The Final Floor**

Partway into the meal, Cyrus raises his hand to silently call for everyone's attention. When everyone has settled, he says, "Now that Arken has shared her story with all of us, I believe now is the time to discuss our plan for tackling the Star Devourer."

Fiona looks to him, resting her chin on her fist; her voice conveys passive interest as she says, "You already have the team planned, no doubt."

He dons a smirk as his gaze settles on her face. "Don't look so glum, love; you're leading this one, after all."

"See? I don't even know why I was worr- what?" He chuckles at her confusion. "No, seriously, what?"

"You'll be leading a variation of the Chain Squad for the final battle, Fiona."

She points at him in an underhanded fashion; "Then what are you doing?"

"Forming the strategy, of course; I won't be among the intended party, at least, I'm hoping I don't need to be. Everyone who will go into battle is not present, only you, Valerie, and Lord Hayato, so I won't go into full detail here. Master Annora and Lissa remain."

Fae looks around the table as she asks, "Do you think the Star Devourer will open the fight with a huge explosion like Amalgolem?" Cyrus nods to this. "Really?"

"Anything that's earned the distinction of being a 6th stratum boss usually has some insane trick in its arsenal. Primevil had Armageddon; the Abyssal God could read minds while on the defensive; and the Warped Savior could trigger Ragnarok. If the Star Devourer didn't have a devastating attack I'd be quite surprised."

Hayato asks, "So did you name those skills or…"

Cyrus shakes his head to the notion. "The Monstrous Codex is self-updating; it is the one responsible for naming the attacks of our enemies. I mean, Primevil never actually got the chance to use Armageddon; it couldn't even prep for it. We dispatched that unholy Hellspawn with the greatest of haste." He places his combat journal on the table, opening it to the page where he has already outlined the pre-requisites of Fiona's party. "I lament that we never got the chance to use Resonance or Revenge Thrust to their full potential, but there is one last Skill in Fiona's arsenal that we haven't made use of – Sylphscreen."

Fiona thinks on this for a long moment before her eyes widen. She looks up to Cyrus, whose small grin suggests that he knows what is running through her mind. "Cyrus, surely you're joking? You don't really think that would work?"

Gwenivere chuckles at Fiona's protests, looking to Cyrus as she says, "You should share your telepathic conversation with the rest of the class."

"Cyrus here is suggesting I use the defensive properties of Sylphscreen to tank the damage of whatever the Star Devourer might throw at us."

Gwenivere's expressions shows concern. "I'm not one to question Cyrus' confidence, but we've never tested how that skill works, yes?" Cyrus nods to this.

He spins the notebook around and pushes it towards Gwenivere so that she might read it. As she does so, he offers a verbal explanation to the others. "Sylphscreen is a curious ability exclusive to Chain Duelists. For every attack that is successfully landed in quick succession, the bearer of this skill is granted the blessing of the Sylphs, which boosts evasive abilities and acts as a shield against damage."

Fiona continues the explanation in his place. "Sylphscreen doesn't do anything about helping me draw enemy aggression, so that's where Lissa comes in. There isn't anything wrong with the strategy on its own, but it's assuming a lot about an enemy we know next to nothing about."

"Arken told us that this creature was able to make short work of her people's mothership and its battleship escort. When you think of how advanced the Arken race had to have been, it only stands to reason that this creature must boast an incredible arsenal."

Fae tilts her head as she asks, "So…you think it has a bunch of weapons attached to it?"

He nods. "It could very well be a creature made up of weaponry, but that's a bit of a stretch." He locks his fingers together, resting his elbows on the table and then resting his chin on his interlocked fingers in turn. "The setup is designed to give Fiona as many opportunities to attack in a single bout as possible; regardless of what the Star Devourer has available, I do not see the value of Sylphscreen fading." He looks to Fiona. "If you're not up for this, I won't force you, Fiona."

"If I don't do this, who will, Cyrus?"

"I'll swap over to Chain Duelist; you're more than capable, Fiona, but I can cover you."

"…no, no, I can't let you do that." She falls silent for a moment, soon nodding to herself. "You've been in my corner since day 1; I need to step up."

"Fiona, don't do this for me; I'm asking for a lot with this, so it has to be on even terms."

Unable to flick his nose, she picks up a napkin, crushes it into a small sphere, and then tosses it at Cyrus' face. For reasons the other patrons do not understand, he does not motion to dodge, despite knowing full well he's capable of doing so. "I know that, you clown; I have my reason – don't you worry about that." She rises from her seat; "I'll head back first; I should inform Lissa and Diana of the plan." As she turns around to leave, a thought occurs to her. She turns back to Cyrus and asks, "Are we exploring the 30th floor tonight?"

"Are you up for it?"

"Sure." She looks among the rest of the Chain Squad. "What about you guys?" They voice their assent to the offer as well. Fiona then directs her attention to Valerie. "Sorry to drop this on you, Princess, bu-"

Valerie scoffs. "Girl, please; don't worry about it. I'll let Lissa and Master Annora know the score. Have fun in space." As the others stand up to prepare for their departure, a concerning thought comes to mind. Valerie partially rises from her seat, using the table as support as she calls out to Cyrus, "Hey Chief?" He stops his advance, turning to face her with an expectant look upon his face. "So I get that you want to combine Grave with Sylphscreen, but will the Wraiths respond to Almighty damage?" Cyrus tilts his head at this, his countenance slowly growing more uncertain in whatever answer exists in his head. "I'll…yeah, I'll talk with Master Annora about it; depending on her answer, you might have to swap her out." Cyrus nods to her, expressing gratitude in turn before properly departing from the Twilight Tavern with his party.

The party makes way for the Geomagnetic Pole, where Arken awaits them. She steps away from the strange mechanism, turning to face her champions. "Though I advise against it, I will stand with you in this endeavor."

Cyrus says, "We could always see you off on your journey, first. You needn't worry about our fate."

Arken shakes her head to this, her usual icy blue gaze now much warmer. "I would like to see your power first hand, one last time. My people sealed the Star Devourer here, so I feel that we bear some responsibility in this planet's ultimate fate."

The group returns to the final Area of the Empyreal Bridge; with two avenues to choose from, the group flips a coin to determine their course. It lands on tails, so the warp located in F4 will be approached from the left side. Gwenivere raises her staff to prepare her incantation for the spell of Invisibility, only for Cyrus to lower it. "There are enemies up here that we'll need to fight; I'd like to get them recorded." She nods to this and holsters her staff. The exploration begins. Upon materializing in F5, the group is put on immediate alert. They search around but see nothing. "An FOE knows we're here; it might be a Mounting Horror."

Fiona clicks her tongue in frustration at the notion. "It's probably using magic to keep watch over this entire sector. I wouldn't put it past a creature capable of cloning itself." She looks ahead to see a green warp; pointing to it, she asks, "Are we going to take that?"

Cyrus nods. "Yes, but let's do a cursory sweep of the general region first." The group is unable to walk far before being beset by two enemies. A Dreamray floats into view, flanked by a creature no one in the Seekers has seen before. Before them is an entity of alien make, primarily blue and purple in its color scheme. Its arms are as ribbons, with separated strips serving as its equivalent to fingers. Its navy shoulder pauldrons wiggle freely; upon closer inspection of the yellow orbs resting at the center of these pauldrons, the party realizes that these are actually the eyes of the creature. They periodically blink, scanning and observing the world around it. ' _It has no elemental weakness to exploit._ ' Moving into a favorable position, he voices a question. "Arken, what can you tell us about that new enemy?"

"It is known as the Slender Demon." She is unable to see this, but everyone in the party frowns. "It fights primarily by utilizing its ribbon appendages, taking advantage of its agility and unnaturally high immune system."

Pulling a Toxic Bomb from her bag, Fae asks, "Does that mean I can't hit it with anything?"

"Petrifaction and sudden shocks to the system would be your only option, save for disabling its limbs."

Fae tosses the Toxic Bomb, and though it does nothing to afflict either opponent, they are both exposed to its debilitative effects. ' _Even if I fail, I can try again…_ ' She pulls a brown-colored bomb from her backpack, setting her sights on the Dreamray. "Uncle, what's that Slender Demon weak to?!" He tells her it has no weaknesses but is highly resistant to electricity. "It's probably made of rubber, so Bash won't work, eith-" Her eyes widen at a sudden revelation. "Prince, use Blaze Prayer; Aunt Gwen, smash the demon; I'll take care of the Dreamray!"

The child's sudden movements draw the attention of the Dreamray, provoking it into taking action. Its tail is barely able to twitch before Fae primes her bomb and tosses it at the enemy. It explodes, turning the Dreamray to stone; the Slender Demon recoils at this and readies its battle stance. A group of frigid blades are sent hurtling towards its location, prompting the creature to put up its guard. The impact of the blades does not cause it to feel pain, but its eye pauldrons no longer see clearly. It lashes out in panic, missing Cyrus completely. The stinging pain of a sword repeatedly stabbing into its flesh internally burns the Slender Demon, which makes an effort to put distance between itself and its assailant.

Fiona readies her stance, setting her sword ablaze in preparation for a volley of Chain Flame. Hayato performs a quick dance, causing an explosion that hits both enemies. Her sights set on the Dreamray, Fiona rushes to thrust her blade into the creature's petrified body. The thrust causes the Dreamray to explode, its pieces scattering on the open air; she uses the momentum of her charge to pivot on her heel and rush to stab the Slender Demon; it does not die from this attack, granting it a chance to retaliate. Though it has trouble focusing, it uses its eyes to fire a visible wave of energy at the party. It fails to hit Cyrus, Fiona, and Hayato, but Fae and Gwenivere are both struck, with the latter noticing that her staff is no longer imbued with the effects of Blaze Prayer, nor does she feel the bolstering effects of Amplifier.

' _It matters not._ ' She delivers a powerful swing to the creature's left arm, forcibly crushing the ribbon-like appendage all the way up to the eyeball pauldron. The pain is too much for the Slender Demon to handle, so it succumbs to the embrace of death. After helping her allies claim their combat spoils, she looks to Cyrus and says, "That Slender Demon's glare can wipe our beneficial effects."

He pulls out his combat notebook and jots this information into it. "A regular enemy capable of dispelling buffs; that will be problematic." He puts the book away, nodding to himself as he follows, "Let's continue." A pool of space waste bars the path to a treasure chest, bringing a notable frown to the faces of both Cyrus and Fiona. "That's just tedious. Milady, would you be a dear and trivialize their efforts?" Gwenivere casts Levitation in reply, eliminating the threat of the obstacle. Cyrus floats over to claim the party's prize, a bottle of Amrita II. "Much obliged." The group is barely able to leave this general area before being beset by a quartet of enemies. A Rare Breed Xenopod leads two others of its kind into battle; a Slender Demon supports them from the back line. Fae tosses a preemptive Chaos Bomb, successfully throwing the Rare Breed into disarray. "Child's play. Fae, conserve your regular bombs; we'll handle this."

Cyrus leads the charge, rushing into the fray to thrust his blade into the main body of a Xenopod. As he wrenches his blade from the target, he performs a back-flip to become airborne, distracting the enemies' attention from Hayato's casting of Blaze Prayer. Fiona charges in to deliver a blazing thrust, slaying the Xenopod; she retains enough momentum to make use of Chain Burst, slaying both remaining Xenopods and wounding the Slender Demon. Before the Slender demon can retaliate, its life is ended by a swing from Gwenivere's infernal staff.

Arken stands off to the side, watching from afar as the party gathers its combat spoils. ' _Such efficiency; they truly work well together._ ' A sound of surprise emits from her as Cyrus rushes over and takes her into his arms. "Runic Gale, what has gotten into you?!"

"There's a Mounting Horror on the way; we're making a break for the green warp." He checks the map upon materializing with his allies in B6, quickly realizing that the clone of the Mounting Horror has not disappeared. He clicks his tongue in frustration at this, as does Fae. "This entire eastern region is counted as one giant area; any of the Mounting Horrors that reside here are practically omniscient." He shakes his head, knowing that there's no other option but to move forward. "Let's get to it."

Fae jumps down from his back. In the distance she can see a purple warp, which she directs her allies' attention to. "That'll send us to the western half of the Area, right?" The others confirm her suspicion but note that the warp won't be utilized until later. As the group walks, a foreboding aura pervades the immediate air. "D- Does anyone else feel that?" As if to answer her question, a creature similar in appearance to the Plague Demon stomps into view. Out of reflex, Fae tosses a Toxic Bomb at the beast; she fails to disable it. Upon closer inspection, the creature before her is a Rare Breed. "Holy crap!"

Drawing his sword, Cyrus grits his teeth as he moves into position. ' _That Superspeed Union Skill would be real nice to have right about now…_ ' He readies his stance before the rest of his allies, which draws the attention of the Xenolion. "Gwen, use Magic Shield; Fae, use Guard Order!" He rushes in as the Xenolion's fur begins to crackle with electricity. "Lord Hayato, fire an arrow; Fiona, Chain Flame!" He shoots a powerful glare to meet the Xenolion's gaze; though it was in an effort to demonstrate that he and his allies are not afraid to engage, the Xenolion takes a step back. The electricity around it ceases to crackle; it takes one last step backwards before fleeing at top speed. Cyrus slides along the ground to stop himself. "Wait, what?"

Fae breathes a sigh of relief. "It ran away." She thinks better on the matter for a moment before realizing something important. "Wait, no! We need its information for the codex! Come back!" She gets no response. "Aw…"

Cyrus sheathes his sword. "We'll get another chance, my little angel, one that hopefully doesn't involve a Rare Breed." Another Xenolion steps into view almost immediately after he says this. Though this specimen is a regular instance, it is much larger. "It called for help?" Fae tosses a preemptive Numbing Bomb, which fails to ail the enemy. Cyrus shrugs at this. "That shouldn't matter; full assault!" The Xenolion quickly falls to a volley of Chain Flame, unable to act upon its threats. The party claims one of its horns as a prize and goes about its way. "Barring the Conditional Drop of the Asura Cicada, that should be every regular enemy in this Stratum. Gwen, please cast Invisibility."

She does so promptly. "I am grateful you asked; the enemies up here are far more prone to belligerence."

Hayato sighs, nodding his head in agreement. "We've barely been here for an hour and we've already dealt with four encounters." For their trouble, the party relieves a treasure chest of the 100000en contained within. "That's nice…wait, who put this here?" Fiona ignores the inquiry as she walks away, singing a merry shanty as her stride continues. "Huh? Wait up!"

Arriving at the center of A6, the party finds a lone Taurus Demon present. With Gwenivere present, they are able to abuse the effects of Levitation to maneuver this creature behind pools of space waste. Their trek continues southward, where the expanse of C7 contains another Taurus Demon. By this point, the clone of the Mounting Horror is steadily drawing near the party's location, and though the Seekers are aware of this, they show no signs of panic. As they draw near the location of the real copy of the Mounting Horror, the threat of inevitable combat becomes clear. Fiona says, "We might have gone about this incorrectly." Looking to Cyrus, she follows, "It's your call."

"We haven't found a shortcut yet, so we'll get the Taurus Demon out of the way and then slay the Mounting Horror." The group must fight its way through two clones before facing the Mounting Horror in proper combat. Though they are more worn down than they would prefer, the final obstacle in their path is unable to capitalize, falling just as easily as the clones that came before it. When the final foe falls, Cyrus sheathes his sword and breathes a sigh of relief. "That was more than a little tedious." He looks to his party as he asks, "Everyone alright?" They nod to him. "Good."

They reach a location beyond two pools of space waste that causes their vision and hearing to be overwhelmed by an intense static. Cyrus orders the others to fall back, facing the effects of this mental static alone. He reaches out his hand, though there is nothing for it to touch. In doing so, the static disappears. Arken explains that, "You have released one of the seals of the Star Devourer. It can be applied again, should you feel so inclined, though I can…" She chuckles, "I can already tell you won't turn back."

He nods to her. "One seal remains. Let's chart the rest of this half of the floor and turn in for the night." The remainder of the eastern half of Area 5 is filled with Taurus Demons; no gathering points are discovered, nor are there any regions suitable for growing provisions. Two warps are found, however, one blue, the other purple, and are noted in turn. This marks the end of the cursory investigation, so Cyrus warps his group out of the labyrinth. When morning arrives, they return to the Empyreal Bridge, intent on finishing whatever remains. A frown instantly plasters on Cyrus' countenance when he realizes that this half of the floor is filled with Prosperous Gels. "…damn it."

Fae climbs onto his back, patting him on the head as she says, "Don't worry, Uncle, I'll take care of the mean gelatin monsters!"

The pride in the child's boastful claim warms the hearts of her allies, lifting their spirits in turn. Cyrus can only chuckle as he replies, "We're counting on you, Fae." The exploration begins at the southwestern half of the floor; the ground is littered with pools of space waste, prompting Gwenivere to cast Levitation. The group steps too closely towards the territory of a submerged Prosperous Gel, inciting its wrath. The creature, much like the rest of its ilk, relentlessly pursues the Seekers until they utilize a purple warp in E1 to warp all the way to E7. Here, they take a short respite, knowing that the FOE will soon lose interest and return to its proper territory. Taking out a grilled cheese sandwich, Cyrus splits his meal in two and hands one half to Fae. The two munch on their meal in silence alongside their comrades until Cyrus gives a comment to no one in particular. "I don't like these creatures."

In between bites, Gwenivere says, "Elizabeth once told me of the disdain your friend Alex felt for this species of creature; I believe I understand his perspective."

After taking a long sip of her coffee, Fiona lets out a content sigh. Pointing to Gwenivere, she says, "You know the one thing I'm not too keen about with this city's Yggdrasil?" Gwenivere shoots her an expectant look but says nothing. "The enemies in here are among the easiest I've ever fought, but I'm starting to realize that it's only because we have an easy time stopping them from doing anything."

Hayato nods to this. "I can't speak for other labyrinths, but that is my impression as well. When I think back to the Luring Phantom that was trying to kill those guards, or those Alluring Imps, I can't help but feel the only reason they were so dangerous is because we didn't have an answer to what they could use against us." He summons the card for the Exorcism Prayer, flipping it between his index and middle fingers; "Ever since I learned how to utilize this skill, I've almost completely forgotten about the Imps."

Arken asks, "Would you not attribute that to the skill you've accumulated?"

Fiona nods in agreement but offers a comment in turn; "To a degree, yes, but coming from Armoroad, it feels as if our setups here in Iorys are just better suited for what we're up against." Arken tilts her head at this, silently asking for clarification; this brings a frown to Fiona's face, though it is one directed at her own surfacing memories. "Let's just say…Armoroad did not give nearly as much freedom in terms of setup."

Seeing that Fiona is trying to change the subject, Gwenivere speaks to aid her, "Now that I think about it, the Headless Hunter comes to mind as well. Dispatching the undead creature is a simple affair, but when I sat down with Amy to look through its skill set, I realized that, had we given it even a single moment to act, we might have faced far worse repercussions." She looks to Cyrus and asks, "Were the other labyrinths like this?"

He shakes his head to the notion. "Just about everything in Etria's Yggdrasil was dangerous and difficult to dispatch effectively. Most enemy formations were worth fearing even after you developed a certain strategy against them. Armoroad and Tharsis were simple in comparison, with the Hall of Darkness in Tharsis being a notable exception." He gestures with his hand as he follows, "The Hall of Darkness is much akin to a microcosm of the Iorys experience." He pops the remainder of his sandwich into his mouth before rising to his feet. Fae, having finished her half as well, quickly dusts her hands of bread crumbs and climbs aboard his back. The pair waits for everyone else to stand before Cyrus says, "Alright, let's get back to it."

The Prosperous Gel has long since returned to its standard hunting ground, granting the Seekers the freedom to explore the region beyond the purple warp in E1. A blue warp that can be approached from all sides is discovered in D2; a lone Taurus Demon stands nearby but cannot pursue the group due to the sheer number of pools of space waste covering the land. As the party floats over these pools to lure the Taurus Demon into a more favorable position, a question enters Fae's mind. "Hey…how would we get past this part without a Warlock?" Fiona and Hayato mention Guard Soles in unison, to which Fae's expression lights up in epiphany. "Oh, right."

Another blue warp is discovered near the patrol route of another Prosperous Gel in C1. This one can be approached from three different sides, with the destination of the top side, as noted by Cyrus, leaving users of the warp stranded in the center of a small break in a large pool of space waste. Fiona frowns at the sight. "Now that's just rude." She shakes her head in disappointment, looking to Cyrus as she says, "Glad you saw that coming in advance."

He continues to draw the map as he replies, "When you've been ruined as many times as I have by B29F in Etria, there's no limit to how crazy prepared you become."

She scoffs at this. "Who you tellin'? I still remember the 'fun' you had with the Cyclopean Haunt." The mere mention of Armoroad's 6th Stratum causes Cyrus to cringe. She pats him on the shoulder as they continue walking. Just as they are about to approach the blue warp from its left side, the sound of a warp activating catches their attention. Fiona looks to the side, for her ears are assaulted by the sound of something materializing beside her. She quickly realizes that she is staring at the posterior of a Taurus Demon. "Oh shit." She motions to draw her sword, looking to Cyrus as she asks, "Attack or flee?"

He sighs. "Carpe diem." Fiona shrugs in turn, fully drawing her sword, which spurs the other party members to ready themselves in kind. He looks to the side to see a Prosperous Gel not too far in the distance. "Let's try and end this fight quickly." He raises a hand to summon a trio of frigid swords; setting his sights on the horns of the enemy, he says, "Fae, we're going to try and petrify this creature before securing the kill; I'll give you the signal."

She nods to him. "I'll do my best." She preemptively tosses a Numbing Bomb at the enemy, which fails to inhibit its movements, but does garner its attention. She reaches for another as Cyrus fires his blades at the Taurus Demon's face. Prepping her arm back, she steels herself for the results to come. The second bomb fails in turn, putting a disappointed scowl on her countenance. "I- I'm sorry…"

Cyrus pats her on the head before setting her down on the ground. "Don't worry about it." He draws his sword, turning his sights onto the enemy; his eyes harden into a focus as he says, "Get Smokeblight ready." He leaves the others to act of their own volition as he charges forward. His blade sinks into the arm of the Taurus Demon, met with great resistance as it becomes apparent just how flabby this creature is. ' _I sure hope I can actually pull the sword out._ ' He does so, albeit met with similar resistance. The Taurus Demon facilitates this act by flailing its arm to throw Cyrus off, granting Fiona an opportunity to stab into that same arm with an electrified thrust.

Having already bestowed the effects of Bolt Prayer onto his allies, Hayato readies the card for Haste Prayer. ' _We're gonna need a bit of breathing room since it's fighting off paralysis pretty well…_ ' He fires this arrow in turn, raining its effects upon his allies. A bomb explodes near the Taurus Demon, exposing it to the effects of Smokeblight. The creature waves its arms in an effort to disperse the cloud, leaving it defenseless as Gwenivere flies in and smashes her electrified staff into the side of its cranium. A loud squishing noise resounds from the impact zone, causing Hayato to cringe and take a step backwards. ' _That didn't sound clean._ '

Fiona flies in to deliver two consecutive thrusts to follow-up on Gwenivere's attack. The second proves to have been a poor call, for the Taurus Demon recovers quickly enough to punch her in the chest, which sends her crashing to the ground next to Cyrus. The creature attempts to punch Gwenivere as well, only for its target to gracefully flip over its arm, land on the opposite shoulder, and then jump into the air to prepare her next attack. Seeing this, Hayato takes a moment to perform a dance in hopes of triggering Dance Oracle before Gwenivere's next use of Clever Strike can connect.

Cyrus takes initiative to buy Hayato some time. He rushes forward to stab his blade into the enemy again. Anticipating that he might be thrown off again, he jumps into the air just before the Taurus Demon throws its arm to the side. When the creature looks up to maintain visual, Cyrus warps back to his sword, performing an axe kick to drive it deeper into the creature's flesh. A roar of agony sounds from the enemy; Cyrus flips away from his sword, keeping the enemy's focus on himself. Despite the pain wracking her form, Fiona motions into a flash step, reappearing in the Taurus Demon's blind spot to deliver an electric thrust to its shoulder.

Before the FOE can process this new source of pain, an electric explosion engulfs its being, causing it to stumble. Fiona thrusts her blade into its chest as a follow-up before pulling away to give Gwenivere a clearer opening. The Witch lands a clean hit to the creature's face and makes a retreat behind cover. Fiona stabs the enemy in the chest and then strafes to the side to bring the Taurus Demon's focus back to her and Cyrus. She performs a flash step upon noticing that the creature's arm is reared back, leaving Cyrus alone to take the oncoming strike.

He warps to his sword to avoid taking damage; as he reappears, he snaps the fingers of his left hand as he rears that same arm backward. The sword warps to his left hand just as he throws his arm forward, stabbing the blade into the enemy and granting Fiona another follow-up in the process. Glancing to the side, he can see that the Prosperous Gel is not too far away from the rest of the group. ' _Do or die._ ' He triggers a Union Skill between everyone except Gwenivere; ' _If this doesn't work, we'll still have Chain Blast to bind them both._ ' He flips from the Taurus Demon's arm, blanketing the battlefield in a Black Mist as he shouts, "Fae, use Smokestone!"

Before Fae can toss her bomb, Cyrus hurls his sword at the Taurus Demon, granting Fiona a follow-up that staggers the creature. This moment of vulnerability is all the opportunity Fae requires, for her bomb successfully turns it to stone. The volley of attacks does not slay the Taurus Demon, allowing the Prosperous Gel to join the fray. "Oh no…"

Gwenivere glances at Cyrus, nodding to him as the two have an unspoken exchange. She calls upon the energy of all in her party to summon aetherial chains from the ground that ensnare both targets. The Prosperous Gel is fully constricted, rendering it unable to properly attack the group. The Seekers, after slaying the Taurus Demon, make short work of the defenseless Prosperous Gel in turn. The rewards claimed from the Taurus Demon are both new; one is its severed arm, which was restored from its petrified state thanks to Fae's herbs. The other is one of the creature's severed horns, still in its petrified state.

Hayato folds his arms, smiling as he looks to Fae and nods. "You picked that opening for Smokestone quite well, Fae."

She blushes at this praise, shuffling in place as she replies, "I was so scared I'd mess up again…" She points to the blue warp, looking to Cyrus as she asks, "Do we have to use that now?"

He shrugs. "I suppose not, but I'd like to check the area ahead. Let's take care of Fiona's wounds first." Once Fiona is patched up, the group approaches the blue warp in C1 from its left side, which sends them to a confined space where the only exit is to take another blue warp. "…I don't like this." The group is warped directly beside a somewhat small but abundant area from which they can procure all of the materials from the Stratum. Cyrus calls for everyone to take a wide step back, which they heed. Pointing ahead to the large pools of space waste beyond, he says, "There's a Prosperous Gel in there." The creature in question pokes its head from beneath the sludge, a disgusting wide smile upon its face. Cyrus points at the creature, donning as displeased an expression as he can muster. "I'm wise to your tricks!"

"Yes…for now…" The creature leaves its message at this before disappearing beneath the purple waste.

Fiona says, "Cyrus, I want what's in that treasure chest."

"It's gonna have to wait, love; I'm not in the mood for chancing another encounter with that."

"What if it's good?"

"I bet you half a million ental that it will be this Yggdrasil's equivalent to the Sonic Dagger, which we never use."

She looks at the treasure chest, and then to Cyrus. "Y- You're serious?" He stares at her with an expression that can leave no room for doubt. "Cyrus, love, I'm not kidding; if you're wrong, you have to pay up." He extends his hand in silence, which she gives a firm shake without hesitation. "Don't worry, when I win, I'll give you something nice." He scoffs and walks away, leading the party towards luring the second Taurus Demon from their path. Though disappointed that she'll have to wait to open that treasure chest, Fiona cannot contain the smile on her face, nor can she subdue the newfound pep in her step.

When the Taurus Demon is safely removed from the group's path, the Seekers step towards the area it appeared to be guarding. Upon feeling the same overbearing static from the previous evening, the others fall back so that Cyrus may break the seal. The moment he does so, the Empyreal Bridge begins to quake, shook by a passing shockwave that violently ripples through the void of space. "That freed the Star Devourer, no doubt." He pulls a spool of Ariadne Thread from his pocket; "Let's get the team ready to end this."


	71. The Star Devourer

**Chapter 71: The Star Devourer**

Returning to the city of Iorys, the group finds the citizenry in a mild state of panic. Many of its denizens look up to the sky, which has suddenly darkened in tinge. Concerning still is its change in color; the once clear, azure skies are now stained with a faded hue of crimson. Bolts of black lightning race and crackle amongst the small clouds, though the sound of thunder is notably absent. Looking upon the sight, an unnamed fear grips Arken's soul. "That creature's aura has already spread this far…" She turns her attention to the Seekers, who are also gazing up at the sky; Fae and Hayato sport fearful countenances, but Cyrus and Fiona notably seem unconcerned.

Arken isn't given a chance to broach this topic, for Cyrus calls for his allies to increase their pace en route to Jenetta's Inn. The entirety of the Guild is summoned for an emergency meeting, one that they take beyond the confines of the inn in favor of reporting to Prince Ramus. The Earthlain representative stands outside in the town square alongside Egar to assuage the fears of the people. As his attention falls on the Seekers, he waves them over. It becomes clear that everyone in the Seekers is present, which brings his worried heart a degree of peace. "The skies suddenly turned ominous; might you be aware of the cause?" Cyrus nods before explaining that the calamitous skies are a result of the Seekers' actions. "You released such a dangerous creature with the intent to destroy it?"

Cyrus nods. "The Star Devourer is much akin to Primevil and the Warped Savior. Regardless of the power of its seal, regardless of humanity's potential future ability to contain and control it, we cannot afford entertaining its prolonged existence."

Egar lets out a chuckle, shaking his head at the explanation. "You would remove even a godlike creature from your path as if it were a mere obstacle? You never disappoint, Cyrus."

Cyrus looks to the skies again to see that the sparks of lightning are growing ever sporadic. "It would seem our guest is getting impatient." Turning to his allies, he says, "Before I choose the members who will go into combat, I need to confirm something." He looks to Diana and asks, "Mom, will your Wraiths retaliate with Grave if the person they're ordered to protect is struck by an Almighty attack?"

She tilts her head at this, adopting an inquisitive look almost identical to the one Cyrus wore when Fiona asked him the same question. Fiona stifles a snicker upon seeing this; ' _I guess I know who he gets it from._ '

Diana eventually shakes her head. "No, Grave does not work that way. Wraiths are incapable of perceiving Almighty attacks."

Clarisse holds her hands to the side of her head, donning an expression plagued with perplexity. "What does that even mean?"

Diana takes a moment to think of a proper explanation, facilitating the act by holding her chin in her hand and looking towards the blasted skies above. Before giving a reply, she asks, "Are you aware of how runic sight works?"

Clarisse nods, much to Diana's surprise. "A little bit, yeah; Lissa told me about what Co taught her."

"The runic sight has to be developed over time; those capable of making use of it aren't capable of perceiving the Origin from a baseline." Clarisse tilts her head, accompanied by Fae and Hayato. "You can view the Origin as Erdboden's equivalent to Almighty; it is the root from which all other elements branch. Though the Origin is a visible form of aether to any individual, regardless of magical affinity, those who would make use of the runic sight require additional training."

Fae asks, "So…what happens when people without that training see the Origin?"

"It is effectively invisible to them."

Fae dons a look of astonishment; to corroborate Diana's claim, Cyrus says, "I made use of the Origin as a Runemaster during my time in Tharsis." Everyone turns to grant him their attention. "I had trained Riza to make use of the runic sight, but she had not yet progressed far enough to perceive the Origin. When I triggered the Origin Rune in combat, she claimed I had disappeared from existence." Looking to Diana, he says, "I can only assume that the Wraiths would perceive anyone suffering from Almighty damage as being pained from an internal source." She nods to him. "Is there any way to convince them to attack anyway?"

She shakes her head to this. "They have their limits, just as we have ours."

"Hm…then the party will see a slight change in formation." Looking to Gwenivere, he asks, "Are you up for facing your first 6th Stratum Boss, milady?"

She runs a hand through her hair, letting out a haughty chuckle. "I should hope so." She then brandishes a new staff, one whose tip is adorned with the Bewitching Bud obtained from the Dryad. "How else will I test my newfound power?"

Cyrus nods to this. "There will be a change in plans. Lissa, you'll have to sit this one out."

She tilts her head at this. "Are you…actually going for all-out aggression?"

"That might be our best course of action."

"Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

Ignoring this, he says, "Our combat party will be comprised of Fiona, Valerie, Master Annora, Gwenivere, and Lord Hayato." The designated five nod and step forward to group together. "Those who remain will assist Prince Ramus and Lord Egar with the relief effort. I'm going with the combat team to oversee the fight." He pivots on his heel to face the direction of the Geomagnetic Pole, prompting the combat party to do the same. A smirk traces on his lips as his thoughts turn to the battle ahead. He takes a single step forward to lead his comrades onward, performing a flourish that allows his shoulder cape to billow on the gentle gust of wind that blows through the city. "Let's move."

Upon approaching the door that leads to the exit of the Empyreal Bridge, everyone in the group, save for Diana, is suddenly overcome by a static and buzzing that, for an instant, renders them blind and deaf. Fiona and Cyrus are the first to recover from this affliction, shaking their heads to catch their bearings. The former says, "OK, that's a new one." When the rest of her allies confirm that they have recovered in turn, she nods and opens the door. Stepping inside, the group can see that the expanse beyond is quite large, which provokes a comment; "I suppose it would have to be if this is where the mothership intended to dock." A presence zooms past the area just in front of her, prompting pause and eliciting a sound of surprise. "Whoa!" She looks around but sees nothing. "The Hell was that?" Cyrus steps forward, holding out an arm to halt everyone else's advance. "So you saw it too?"

He offers no reply, for the entity responsible for this sudden pause materializes into proper view. A large, purple mass floats in the air in front of the group. At its bottom are three units of what Cyrus and Gwenivere liken to airship engines. Six arms are attached to this being, three on each side; each wields a two-pronged sword whose blades are made of energy that burns the air around them. Gray, presumably bone-like material, is interspersed among the purple, granting this creature the closest equivalent to a face that the Seekers are willing to compare. It sets its sunken and hollow red eyes upon its visitors but makes no further signs of motion.

Arken steps forward to stand beside Cyrus; she does not look to him, instead keeping her sights focused on the creature responsible for slaughtering her people. "This…is it; then that transmission was true…" The reality of her loss finally hits, bringing with it a weight that no one in the party, save for Diana, could hope to fully understand. She is trembling now, unable to shake the fear and grief that has suddenly gripped her chest in a vice. She motions to speak again, but the words are stuck within her throat. She flinches upon feeling something gently clasp her shoulder; turning her head, she sees that Cyrus has offered silent support. Contrary to her expectations, his hand is not trembling, nor is there any fear present in his gaze as he looks upon the Star Devourer. In place of the expected, the man is smiling, his eyes shining with a glimmer Arken has never seen within them prior to now. "Runic Gale?"

Cyrus chuckles, though not at the mention of his name. Without turning to face anyone, he says, "I'm a little jealous, Fiona; this challenge looks like fun."

She can't help but scoff at how casually he's taking this situation. "We might have just doomed the universe to extinction and you're excited to fight?" He grins at her, eliciting an exaggerated groan of disgust. "You grin like an asshole."

Cyrus groans in turn, though his is notably genuine. "Ugh, you and Ha-chan are gonna get along; I don't know how to feel about that." He shakes his head as his expression shifts to a more appropriately serious visage. Turning to the others, he says, "The plan remains as we outlined." He glances back to see that the Star Devourer is not at all concerned with the group. It looks around the Empyreal Bridge with curiosity, but still makes no effort to leave the area. "We'll open with a bomb of Sleep Gas to buy some time for preparations." Pointing to Valerie, he says, "Our debuff selection is going to be quite limited, but Wilting Miasma is a necessity."

Valerie nods her assent. "We brought a few Bravants since I'm sure we'll need more of a kick."

He nods to this as he says, "Good call; hold off on tossing one to Fiona until the situation is properly assessed." Valerie gives a thumbs-up in reply. "Mom, since Grave is out of the question, we won't make use of Sylphscreen anymore."

She nods to this as she says, "Then Tombstone Vice is in order." Hayato tilts his head at this, suggesting he's not heard of this skill. "I have yet to make use of this skill in proper combat, but its potency is unquestionable." She turns her attention back to Fiona, who continues to stare at the enemy ahead in silence. Diana calls out to her, prompting her comrade to glance backwards before fully committing to turning around. "I understand there's a lot of pressure on you with this battle, my child; will you be alright?"

"I'm…" She hesitates, unsure of what realistic response she can give. "I'm alright. I just have to concentrate on landing my follow-ups." Looking to Cyrus, her memories of their initial meeting at the Butterfly Bistro return; she quickly shakes her head to keep those memories at bay. Cyrus has stepped forward to place a Brawn Ring around her finger. "Yeah, thanks, Cyrus…it's a shame, though; I was looking forward to testing Sylphscreen."

"That makes two of us." He grabs hold of Arken's hand to lead her away from what is soon to become a battlefield. "You have the best seats this time, Arken."

She offers no resistance as the two walk away, though her blank expression is telling all its own. "I'm beginning to think you'd challenge Death itself to a drinking contest if you were given the chance."

"I already have, twice, in fact." Arken sighs, though it sounds far closer to a bemused chuckle. "I lost both times." She bursts into laughter.

The Star Devourer continues to pay the Seekers no heed, even as they draw near, making their hostile intentions clear, and Valerie's Miasma Armor envelops her frame, granting her an imposing visage. It yields a passing glance as its only sign of acknowledgement; such apathy proves to be its undoing, for Valerie coats the battlefield in a Black Mist, followed by tossing a specially prepared bomb of Sleep Gas. It explodes, completely engulfing the Star Devourer and its limbs within its soporific cloud. When the smoke dissipates, the creature is still floating, though it and its limbs are in a state consistent to other creatures locked in slumber. Valerie looks back to her allies, giving a thumbs-up; though it goes mostly unnoticed by her comrades, the blade of Valerie's scythe and Miasma Armor now sport matching ebon glows. ' _I suppose this will be the only fight where I get to make use of Black Blade and Black Shroud._ ' She shrugs before starting to walk to her allies. ' _That's assuming I even get hit to test Black Shroud._ '

In reply to this, Fiona takes to sitting on the floor to meditate, readying herself for the volley she will soon unleash. One of Diana's Wraiths merges with the Star Devourer and detonates, confirming that the aberration possesses a soul just as any other. Hayato summons all three cards for the elemental prayers, looking to Cyrus for a suggestion. Cyrus looks to Fiona, thinks on the unspoken question, and says, "Use the Blaze Prayer." Hayato nods to this, dispersing the cards for Bolt and Hail; he takes the card for Blaze Prayer between his fingers, turning it into an aetherial arrow that he fires into the sky to rain down its effects upon his allies. Gwenivere recites an incantation to bestow unto Fiona, Diana, and herself the effects of Amplifier.

Fiona soon rises to her feet, eyes focused and blade drawn. Her sights are set upon the enemy ahead, as well as the limbs it will employ to its defense when the battle truly begins. Valerie gives her scythe a twirl before pointing it directly at the Star Devourer, which blankets the creature and its limbs in a Wilting Miasma. She looks back to see Diana prepping her closed coffin. "I guess it's time." She channels aether into her scythe, conjuring a swirling torrent of flames to form around it; ' _Let's see what this does._ ' She tosses a bottle of Bravant to Gwenivere. "Amy isn't here to grant that boost with Overexertion, but this ought to do." Gwenivere drinks the bottle of Bravant without delay and quickly drinks a second that is tossed to her by Hayato.

Hayato performs a dance to garner the favor of the spirits watching this battle unfold. Pleased with the prince's performance, more so by his bravery in committing to his struggle against this seemingly insurmountable opponent, the spirits trigger a fiery explosion that engulfs the entirety of the Star Devourer. The damage dealt is insignificant but is more than enough to give a rude awakening. The Star Devourer's face is incapable of showing emotion, but the hatred of the glare it shoots towards the Seekers is palpable, practically choking the air with its malice. Cyrus picks up Arken, resting her upon his back. "What are you doing?"

"This might get dicey." He makes no effort to explain himself further, leaving Arken with her perplexed expression. The blades of the Star Devourer's swords, as well as its engine-like appendages, all take on a sporadic glow, suggesting that some form of action is about to be taken. ' _Now's the time, Fiona; show yourself what you've shown me since Armoroad._ '

As if hearing Cyrus' thoughts, Fiona takes a single step forward, one that is confident and defiant. The Star Devourer's glow only increases in its intensity, though the Chain Duelist remains unfettered. She swings her blade to the side, signaling her allies to prepare to attack. Gwenivere silently heeds the leader's call by transforming into a raven and soaring into the sky above. Valerie readies her scythe, sinking into a combat stance; Diana releases the latch securing her coffin, but waits before opening it. The explosion triggered by Dance Oracle begins to subside; Fiona's pupils shrink as several openings, small though they may be, present themselves before her. ' _Let's do this._ '

She charges into the fray, starting with thrusting her blazing blade into the Star Devourer's main body. Wrenching it from this target, she jumps from it to perform a downward thrust on the bottom-most sword on the right side of its body. She pulls her sword from this in turn, using the force of her tug to spin in place for extra momentum to facilitate a sword toss. The force of this throw allows her sword to pierce straight through the limb above; she follows up from this by jumping for the sword, launching herself with such speed that she effortlessly charges through the next limb. Now airborne, she angles herself to spin in place again to give her sword another throw, this time piercing through all three bladed arms of the creature's left side.

Cyrus snaps his fingers, conjuring a block of ice that Fiona promptly uses as a means of launching herself to her sword. As she catches it, Cyrus snaps his fingers again to conjure another block of ice, which Fiona uses to launch herself through the engine-like appendages of the Star Devourer. She launches herself into the air again to grant Valerie the opportunity to strike, which the Deathbringer takes by swinging her scythe to cause a huge explosion that engulfs the form of the Star Devourer. With a second slew of openings presenting themselves, Fiona repeats the process; the use of Banefire Breath provides one extra opportunity to stab into the main body. When she lands, an aura of emerald overtakes her form. She turns around to see that the Star Devourer's glow has disappeared, for its limbs are now too damaged to commit to its planned assault.

With the initial volley complete, and all of the creature's limbs no longer being active, Fiona takes the opportunity to strike three additional times via Chain Burst. Another proper follow-up presents itself in turn as Gwenivere, having now returned to her human form, crashes down upon the Star Devourer's face with a blazing hammer backed by the force of gravity. The enemy violently crashes to the ground from the force of the impact. Gwenivere recoiled from the impact as well, remaining airborne. She transforms into her raven form and performs a loop to regain her speed as she dive bombs. The Star Devourer's main body quickly picks itself up and floats away to avoid Gwenivere's next attack. The space atop its back begins to bubble in a grotesque manner, followed promptly by the regeneration of one of its body parts.

Diana frowns at this. "Do you think this is a game?!" A scowl forms on her face; "Fiona, I require a Black Mist." Fiona nods to this, triggering the Union Skill between herself and everyone except Gwenivere; with a snap of her fingers, a second Black Mist blankets the battlefield. The Star Devourer makes no efforts to escape, likely because its vision is unhindered, but this proves to be a mistake on its part. In choosing not to move, it grants Diana's Wraiths a great deal of ease in fusing with its body, wherein they explode and begin a swift process of gradual petrifaction. Understanding its predicament, the aberration pivots in the air to direct its back engine towards the party. Though the Seekers are placed on alert, they are unable to react before the engine expels a burst of flames.

A red veil forms around the Seekers, courtesy of Hayato's use of Blaze Prayer, though the force of the flames knocks them back all the same. Given that Cyrus and Arken are not protected by the veil, the man punches the ground in front of him to summon a large wall of ice, which, to Arken's surprise, holds against the expelled flames without melting or shattering. "I am surprised you never acted as a Warlock."

"That might have been fun, yes." When the flames finally cease, he looks to find that the Star Devourer is fully petrified, but still floating in the air. "Mom was right; that skill is potent."

As Hayato finishes another performance for Dance Oracle, Fiona readies her blade and charges ahead of her allies. "Let's take this thing down before it recovers!" This plan does not come to pass exactly how she envisioned it, for the Star Devourer removes its petrifaction from within and regenerates its lower engines along with a chest-mounted cannon. "That's not good." She looks to Gwenivere and asks, "Is Chain Blast ready?" Gwenivere responds by triggering the Union Skill, summoning a myriad of aetherial chains to bind the Star Devourer. The creature endeavors to evade these chains, but eventually finds that its bottom engines are its downfall. Once the engines are ensnared, its acceleration stops, allowing the remaining chains to secure the rest of the body. The cosmic horror struggles in vain to free itself from its bindings, to which Fiona shrugs. "I'll take it; get 'em!"

Arken and Cyrus watch from the sidelines as an unmitigated beating is unleashed upon the now helpless destroyer of worlds. The former of the two adopts an expression of astonishment, her mind nearly incapable of processing the sight she is witnessing. The creature that ambushed her home and slaughtered her people is now facing certain annihilation as if it were a common enemy. The Star Devourer's body soon ceases its violent convulsions, suggesting that the creature has breathed its last. Arken dares not speak, fearful that her words might stir the creature from its slumber. Cyrus sets her down so that he can walk over to the creature's corpse.

He confirms the lack of a discernible pulse before looking to Diana. She nods to him and extracts the Star Devourer's soul from its body. Cyrus then channels aether to his right hand, which he places upon the corpse of the enemy to incinerate it. What remains is a spherical orb that appears to be charged with energy. He picks this core up from the ground, looks it over, and then places it among the Guild's belongings. "This would make a good katana…" He shrugs. "Oh well, it'll better serve as a gift to Syrik." He walks back to the team, looking over everyone to assess their injuries. A smile forms on his face as he realizes that his comrades went practically unharmed throughout the engagement. "Excellent work, Seekers." His gaze falls to Fiona; "That initial volley was better than I imagined, Fiona; you well surpassed my expectations."

She chuckles, resting a hand on her hip. "I didn't know I had it in me." She looks to Arken, who has stepped forward to give a flourishing bow. "Did you enjoy the show, Arken?"

"My breath was taken away; truly marvelous work, Seekers. To be honest, I doubted this battle would be a victorious one." She gives a depreciative chuckle, one that is directed at herself. "When I first arrived on this planet, I never dreamed of you children surpassing the Arken; my imagination was lacking." A smile is upon her face, one that expresses a warmth none in the party are accustomed to seeing from her. "Thank you for defeating the Star Devourer and avenging my people; as you humans would say, this gratitude comes from the bottom of my heart." Her eyes grow misty as she partially turns her head away from the Seekers. She looks to the heavens above, her voice barely a whisper; "You can all meet our ancestors in the stars with pride…" This lasts but a moment before Arken walks further into this large chamber.

The Seekers follow her to the end of the cosmic corridor. Cyrus says, "This is it."

She nods without turning to face him. "That is correct. This is the space that connects your world to the one I must now protect." A smile traces upon her lips as she turns to properly face the Seekers. "I must admit that I am sad to leave this planet after nurturing it for so long, but when I think of how far its denizens have come, I feel an unrivaled sense of serenity."

Gwenivere nods to this, a proud smile forming on her face. "That is why you're pressing forward; you understand that you are needed elsewhere."

Hayato asks, "Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to everyone first?" Arken shakes her head, though her smile does not waver. "I…I see. Well, we wish you the best of luck wherever you go next."

Cyrus steps forward, removing his shoulder cape as he draws near Arken. He drapes it around her shoulders, gently securing it to her neck before stepping backwards. He extends his hand, which Arken grasps and gives a firm shake. "Know that the Seekers shall walk with you wherever you go, Arken. When you are in need, call for us."

She nods to this as their hands separate. "Thank you, Runic Gale; I'll cherish this gift, and keep your words ever close." She pivots in place and takes a step forward; whether it was by chance or a mental command, a wormhole appears directly in front of Arken, which she steps through without giving any additional parting words.

The Seekers watch as this planet's guide disappears without a trace; when the wormhole disappears, Cyrus gives a single nod, a soft smile upon his features. "Time to perform the final sweep of Yggdrasil; there's quite a bit we missed, but let's report back to the city first."


	72. The Journey Beyond

**Chapter 72: The Journey Beyond**

The once blasted skies of Iorys have returned to normal, signaling the defeat of the Star Devourer to the denizens unable to see the battle waged in the stars above. The party is treated to uproarious cheer upon its return, with Prince Ramus and Guildmaster Egar at the fore. The former gives a bow to the Seekers as he says, "I admit that I was worried when the skies grew dark, but your Guild has yet to fail; deep down, we all knew you would succeed." He looks around but does not see Arken. "Did Arken not return with you?"

Gwenivere shakes her head to this. "Arken had another mission that could not wait; she sends her regards in her absence."

"Ah, I see, that is most regrettable." A brief look over the party does not reveal any outstanding injuries. "You all look well."

Fiona says, "We managed to avoid significant damage." She looks to Cyrus as she says, "We still have some time before night falls; are we gonna get started on that sweep?"

He nods in reply. "We can do that…why are you in such a hurry?"

"We have a bet to settle, love."

Egar chuckles at Fiona's serious countenance. "I surmise that a large sum of ental was involved." Fiona nods to this, her burning resolve growing in its intensity. "I pity the fool who tries to get between Fiona and her monetary gain." He raises a hand to silently order his troops to enter formation. "You all take care of what you need to; know that a feast will be waiting for you upon your return."

The entirety of the Seekers splits off to explore the remainder of Yggdrasil more efficiently. Lissa leads a group to search for whatever treasure chests remain within the first three Strata, with Cyrus leading a group of his own to search the last three Strata. The hour strikes 7PM as Cyrus' group reaches the one treasure chest Fiona was adamant to pilfer, which is located on the final floor of the Empyreal Bridge. Knowing that her bet hinges upon this chest's contents, she makes it a point to have Cyrus stand at her side to appraise the chest's contents in unison.

To ensure that no bias is presented, Valerie is the one to open the chest and remove the contents within. A sheathed dagger is removed, causing the hearts of both Cyrus and Fiona to skip a beat. Time seems to reach a painful crawl as Valerie removes the blade from its scabbard. The make of this dagger's blade is what secures the winner of the bet, revealing it to be fit for delivering a shock to the system of its victim, one that is so painful that the victim will be too stunned to take action upon removal. Though this dagger is not what Fiona would consider a worthwhile venture, what matters most is that this is, in fact, not the Sonic Dagger that Cyrus predicted it would be; she is the victor of the bet.

"Holy shit, I did it." A barely audible gasp of elated surprise escapes her, complemented by the slowly forming expression of joy upon her countenance. She looks to her lover, whose expression is one of disbelief. A hand covers the left side of Cyrus' face, with the half that remains silently conveying that he has no words. Though there is no malicious intent behind her words, Fiona feels the need to confirm the results of this bet. "It wasn't the Sonic Dagger, love."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right." He removes the hand from his face to gesture it towards the dagger Valerie holds. "I thought we already picked up the Stun Knife." A moment of silence befalls him; "Hot damn, I just lost half a million ental." He chuckles in disbelief, unable to restrain the smile forming on his face. "Valerie, I goofed!"

"Yeah Chief, you did…do you even have half a million ental to give?"

"Yeah, the money we'll make from selling the Worldeater Core will cover the difference."

Arching an eyebrow to this, Fiona asks, "How much did you already have?"

"200000; I was saving up."

"Saving up for what?" He shrugs, not having a response to give. "Eh, I can't complain." She grabs hold of his hand, gradually filling with greater joy as the reality of the situation starts to settle. "Let's have our feast."

Returning to Jenetta's Inn, Cyrus looks towards the lobby to see that Clarisse is sitting on the couch. She watches as Jenetta and various patrons move to and from the kitchen, often armed with serving trays and platters. Cyrus glances at the kitchen, shrugs, and then walks over to Clarisse. Without a word, he takes a seat beside her before slumping over to rest his head on her lap. To his surprise, more so to the surprise of everyone else, Clarisse doesn't give a response beyond resting a hand on the side of Cyrus' head to gently stroke his hair. They sit in silence for a few moments until she asks, "What happened?"

"I lost a bet with my wife."

"Which one?" He calls out Fiona's name, his voice close to a hushed whisper as if the name is forbidden. The mere mention of their comrade tells Clarisse much of what she needs to know. "How much money did you lose?" Cyrus hesitates, eventually speaking the answer with much trepidation in his heart. "Oof, that is bad." Looking back to the kitchen, she can see Fiona is assisting with the preparations; her steps are bubbly, a smile of pure joy is fixed upon her lips. "Uh huh, I'd be smiling too." She allows him to remain where he rests until the preparations draw near their completion. With a few gentle pats to the cheek, she says, "It's time to move."

Cyrus instead nestles in place, curling into a ball. "Do I have to? I like it here; it's warm." Clarisse heaves a brief sigh, close to a half-chuckle, followed by gently pushing him to the floor. His cheek, once warmed by the tender flesh of his comrade's thighs, quickly grows cold upon becoming intimate with the icy, uncaring floor. Though he is only on the ground for a few seconds, he feels an eternity's worth of frigid betrayal. "Clarisse…why?"

She shrugs, not feeling the need to grant him an answer made of proper consideration. "Eh, BB is the one who gives you thigh time or whatever you call it."

"But…what just happened is not what thigh time entails…at least not entirely."

"Not my business." She walks away, not even deigning to extend a hand to pick up the comrade she knocked down. She advances half way to the kitchen before she glances back with a smirk on her face. "Better get a move on before I take your share." The patrons in attendance are so great in number that multiple round tables needed to be purchased and setup; the Seekers recount their battle with the Star Devourer, sparing no detail in what the creature's mere presence could cause. As the battle is covered, Clarisse cannot help but frown in disappointment. "What the Hell? It sounds like you beat the thing like it was a cornered animal."

Hayato says, "After Lady Gwenivere's use of Chain Blast, that's honestly what it became."

Amy laughs at this, raising her tall wine glass. "Sounds like the Star Devourer gave us less trouble than the Eternal Tyrant." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "We're staying in this world for a while, right?" He nods to her, eliciting a smile and a giggle. "Awesome, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in Armoroad again." She looks to Gwenivere and says, "You're gonna love the ocean city, milady~"

"From what you've told me, I don't doubt that." Glancing to the side, she can see Fae, Karoline, and Franklin laughing together as they enjoy their meal. ' _I hope those three remain fast friends._ ' Her mind turns to the journey ahead, as well as the long journey that is nearing its conclusion. Speaking to no one in particular, she absently says, "This world is certainly a fascinating one." A smile traces upon her lips, an expression of contentment accompanying it. "Exploring more of it shall not leave me wanting."

Jenetta asks, "How long are you guys gonna stay in Iorys?"

Cyrus says, "We'll likely depart tomorrow." Jenetta's ears droop at this, a frown plastering upon the spot where her once unfettered smile used to rest. "We have a long journey ahead of us, but we'll at least be in Arcania for a time to come." Raising a finger, he follows, "I'm going to spend tomorrow morning helping Prince Ramus with updating the Council's records." He thinks on the matter to make sure he's certain in what he plans to say next. "We have fully documented Yggdrasil, so all that remains is making one final report." He raises his tall glass of orange juice high into the air, prompting the others to follow. "Here's to Iorys' struggle reaching a triumphant conclusion!"

A loud cheer sounds from the table in reply as everyone joins in on the toast. Through the commotion, Solor takes the opportunity to swipe a biscuit from Cyrus' plate; she fails, with the man in question placing his arm between her and her prize. She grits her teeth at this but says nothing. The two spend a time throwing jokes at one another, neither willing to back down as their words escalate. The others ignore the pair in favor of continuing their feast and conversations that they deem more pertinent. Tales of adventure, both old and recent, are shared amongst the Seekers, Nomads, Freeblade, and Aria's Guilds. Oriana and Abel of Freeblade eventually fall into an argument; their allies pay this no heed, much to the surprise of the Nomads.

Franklin, a smile on his face, says, "Uncle Abel and Aunt Ori are like an old married couple." The two members of Freeblade cease their argument immediately, slowly turning their heads to silently reply with looks of incredulity. Franklin laughs at this, having grown accustomed to these strange faces. "Papa Conrad said so."

The looks of incredulity swap over to anger as they are directed at Conrad. Abel's once furious expression momentarily shifts to convey hurt glazed over with betrayal. "Conrad…really?"

Oriana, on the other hand, has turned red in the face, visibly shaking with contempt as her hands ball into tight fists. "Conrad." Her voice is steady in its cold delivery, sending a shiver down the spines of everyone present at the table except for the children. "What do you mean by that?" Conrad opens his mouth to speak but is promptly cut off. "Consider your response very carefully."

Conrad closes his mouth, though the easygoing smile on his face does not fade. He looks to the two friends he has angered, and then to Cyrus. His fellow Fencer shrugs, having no words of wisdom to give, nor a solution to rid him of this mess. Turning his attention back to the irate allies, Conrad refrains from speaking. He shifts back in his chair and disappears from sight, causing everyone's eyes to go wide, save for Jilian, though this goes unnoticed. Their attention is drawn to the opening front door of the inn, where Conrad is making his escape. Oriana and Abel rise from their seats, their furious countenances returning in full force as their fists hit the table. The former of the two shouts, "Cowardly lout! You shan't escape!"

The two rush to the exit, knowing that they'll need to move quickly if they are to catch who is easily the fastest member of their Guild. Jilian takes a sip of her tea, thinking to herself, ' _Conrad's affinity for magic grows by the day; that casting of Invisibility could use some improvements, though._ ' She sets the cup down, heaving a silent sigh of contentment. Not bothered by the commotion occurring around her, she smiles and says, "This tea is delicious."

Having finished her third helping, Amy wipes her mouth with a cloth and gently sets her cutlery down onto the practically cleaned plate resting in front of her. She offers a word of thanks to the chefs of this feast, rises from her seat, and then departs for her room upstairs. Much like the other Erdboden-born members of the Guild, she takes to the balcony of her room, where a cloudless sky grants a perfect view of the stars and moons above. She basks in the cool, gentle evening breeze, wearing a soft smile as she enjoys this moment of peaceful reflection. Soon to join her is Fiona; the two enjoy the momentary respite in silence for several minutes.

Another breeze, one much stronger than the last, blows through the balcony, causing Fiona's untied hair to dance into a mess of strands. She works to straighten her hair out, grumbling about how she should have never untied the twin-tails to begin with. Amy says, "You finally made that dream into a reality, Fiona." Her comrade doesn't respond, taken aback by the sudden praise. "Back in Armoroad, you were just like me – too afraid of making more mistakes."

"I got my Guild slaughtered, you know?" Her eyes cast down to the ground floor below; normally, some sort of distraction would appear to put Fiona's mind at ease, but instead there is nothing. No soul passes by, not even a small woodland creature going about its daily struggle to survive. "How could I be fit to lead after that?" She falls silent long enough to give Amy something to think about, but not long enough to grant her a chance to reply. "Training as a Fencer has helped." Looking to her comrade, she follows, "I'm kinda glad he showed up when he did; knowing me, I might have taken up the role of Phantom Duelist." Amy frowns at her, folding her arms to accentuate her now displeased stance. "Don't give me that look." Amy's disposition only intensifies, much to Fiona's chagrin. "I got better, right?"

"And you had the gall to criticize me!"

"Huh? When did I- oh! The story about the Zombie Dragon." She scoffs, waving her comrade off with a dismissive hand. "Girl, please; I've been telling you since Armoroad that you're a stronger person than any of us. That bit with the Zombie Dragon was just you showing yourself what we've all known the whole time." Amy taps her foot impatiently, silently waiting for Fiona to properly consider what she just said. It takes a few seconds, more than Amy feels was necessary, but Fiona eventually brings an open palm to her own face. "Ah damn it; that's what you meant, isn't it?"

"I was gonna be mad if I had to spell that out for you."

"Do you know what Master Annora did with the soul of the Star Devourer?" She thinks on the matter before asking, "Did…did she eat it?" Amy bursts into laughter. "I'm serious!"

Diana steps onto the balcony, her silent steps catching Fiona off guard. "Do I frighten you, child?" A glass half-filled with red wine rests in her hand. The shine of the moons above gives the liquid a visage sporting an uncharacteristic thickness, to which Fiona dons a nervous countenance. "Do you honestly believe I consume souls?"

"I mean, you still need to feed, right?"

"I do, but I drink blood; I do not consume souls."

"That's wine, right?" Diana does not reply. Her once straight-faced expression cracks a small smirk before she takes a loving sip of her drink. She licks her lips afterwards, heaving a sigh in turn. "That's not funny."

"If you must know, I've turned that aberration's soul over to the Abyssal One." Fiona arches an eyebrow at this. "Not the Abyssal God you slayed in Armoroad, dear; the Abyssal One is one of the gods of Erdboden. He rules over the element of darkness and deals in all things Eldritch."

"And you can just casually call him up for conversation?"

"I believe I've earned that distinction, yes. A mother should be on good terms with her son's teacher." Fiona raises a finger to this but lacks the words to voice a proper reply. "Don't stress over the details."

"I'm sorry what? Are you saying my husband is a student of the Dark One?" She looks to Amy, who is casually filing her nails. "You knew about this?"

"Of course I did; I don't see what you're getting so worked up about. The Abyssal One is a cool guy. I'll try to introduce you when you finally come to Erdboden." She is suddenly overcome by the urge to yawn, one that she fails to suppress. She takes a moment to stretch as well, taking one last look at the night sky beyond. "I'm gonna turn in now; I don't feel like packing, so I'll do it in the morning."

When morning comes, Cyrus is up earlier than his comrades. As he walks to the marketplace, alone on this quiet morning, he thinks to the previous evening. Memories of the time spent with the other Guilds stationed here in Iorys remind him of the many Guilds he worked alongside during his time in Armoroad. ' _I wonder how Princess Victoria and her vassals are doing. Knowing Kirikaze, she's throwing herself into peril for her lord._ ' Taking his usual route, he quickly arrives at Syrik's stall. The young merchant is hard at work setting up his station, readying himself for the customers to come. "Morning, Syrik."

"Mornin' to ya, Cyrus. What brings you here so early?"

"We're leaving Iorys today, so I'm here to say farewell." He doesn't give Syrik a moment to process this information before placing the Worldeater Core procured from the Star Devourer onto the counter. "We bested the Star Devourer, the final challenge waiting at the apex of Yggdrasil." He places a finger at the top of the shimmering orb, gently rocking it back and forth. "This was the item we obtained from it."

Syrik takes the orb into his hand to study its features. A great deal of energy is constantly emitting from this item, though it is invisible to the naked eye. He looks to Cyrus and asks, "Can you see anything that I can't?" Cyrus shakes his head, stating that his Runic Eye sees nothing unusual. "Huh…I can give you 300000 ental for this, but whatever this would turn into would cost a fortune."

Cyrus gives a soft smile as he nods. "That is fine; this item would be best suited to forging a katana, but do you recall what I said before?" Syrik tilts his head inquisitively. "This item is our gift to you, our blessing for your trip to the Zepheria Exchange."

Syrik is taken aback, his mouth momentarily agape and unable to produce the gasp that is stuck within his throat. His focus alternates between Cyrus and the Worldeater Core as his mind races to find some means of expressing gratitude. He places the core back down onto the counter so that he can walk around to the front to shake Cyrus' hand. His eyes are growing misty, though he makes no effort to look away from his customer. In spite of his forming tears, a smile rests upon his features. "Us Brouni smile when we say goodbye. When we part with folks, we want them to remember us happily for when we meet again."

Cyrus maintains his smile as he says, "Then allow me to do the same. We're going off on another journey today, so let it be known that we're glad to have met you." He departs from the marketplace with one final wave; his next destination is the Council Hall, where Prince Ramus awaits. Taking a seat at a table, Cyrus pulls out the Item Compendium, Monstrous Codex, and all the maps for the 6th Stratum. Ramus takes a seat across from him; tea is soon served to them both. As Ramus takes a sip, Cyrus says, "The Empyreal Bridge proved to be the most involved 6th Stratum we've ever charted." He chuckles, his mind turning to the journey through Armoroad. "Even the Cyclopean Haunt wasn't this bad. As the city explores more of the Empyreal Bridge, I recommend looking into the various forms of technology the Stratum has to offer."

Ramus nods to this. "Indeed. If what Arken told us is true, there might be something that can help advance the skyship technology developed in the outlands of Tharsis." He calls for a pair of guards to retrieve the maps Cyrus has brought, freeing up space on the table. As he flips through the Item Compendium, he notes the detail of the suggested routes outlined by the Seekers. "These routes will be a boon as well; you and the rest of the Seekers have my thanks, Cyrus."

"We're happy to be of assistance, your highness."

"When your journey around the world is complete, what shall you do next?"

"I'm not entirely sure; I'll have to wait and see what fate has in store for me."

"It has been an honor working with your Guild; you all have helped advance our beloved city at a speed none could have anticipated. Wherever your travels may take you from here, know that you will always have our support." The two rise from their seats to shake hands, exchanging smiles in turn. "Go in health, Cyrus; please take care."

"Of course, your highness. I look forward to hearing of your future exploits. You're already a competent royal, but you'll surely grow to be even more refined as time moves forward."

"I thank you for those words." He steps away for a moment to retrieve an item. Upon his return, Ramus is armed with an ornate crown, which he places atop Cyrus' head without a word. Shimmering in the glow of the morning light, this crown is adorned with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, ten of each, as well as one thousand diamonds. "In recognition of your Guild's accomplishments, we present to you the Crown of Arcania. It is our hope that, wherever your travels take you from here, you will remember that all of Arcania walks with you."

Cyrus bows in gratitude. "We'll carry the notion with us always, your highness."

Ramus motions for the exit of this chamber, silently offering to escort Cyrus to the Council Hall's exit. When they reach the doors, they open without their input, revealing the rest of Seekers, armed with luggage, to be waiting on the other side. The ones to have opened the doors are Lissa and Clarisse, who stand at attention before dropping to one knee in honor of the prince. Cyrus steps over to join the rest of his Guild, who all follow the lead of Lissa and Clarisse to honor Ramus with a kneel. He bows in reply, granting the silent queue for his addressors to rise to their feet. "Know that you all shall forever have a home here in Iorys. We await your return." He remains at the entrance of the Council Hall, flanked by two guards as he watches the Seekers disappear over the horizon. A feeling of pride swells in his chest, though it is partially diluted with the emotions that inevitably accompany a parting. He nods to himself, knowing that his work must continue despite these events. He pivots on his heel as a focused look forms his countenance. "Let us be off; there is work to be done."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Thus concludes "Addressing the Myth". This has been quite the adventure; I am glad to have had the opportunity to share it with you all. I know not where I'll go from here, but I hope to provide more content in the future._


End file.
